The Lines Between Flesh & Steel
by ValarSpawn
Summary: Trescentric, TresxOC. I am not Human. I am Machine. That at least, was his answer to Radcon's statement. But he had never anticipated the answer might change.
1. Plot Summary & Disclaimer

Genre: Anime/Manga

Anime/Manga: Trinity Blood © Sunao Yoshida

Authors: ValarSpawn & Rukia (Natsumi)

(Illustration © kipferl; never mind that people won't see it on sweatdrop)

Plot Summary: "I am not human. I am machine." That at least, was his answer to Radcon's statement. A creation of the humans, he was beneath them, his purpose only to protect the Duchess of Milan and obey her orders. A battle android. It all used to be simple and clear-cut. That is, until Tres Iqus crosses paths with Maria Sforza Langden, Cardinal Catherina's protégé. It is not their first meeting. This time however… This time, everything will change, and the thin lines between Man and Machine will blur…

And now…an extra precaution for avoiding lawsuits from either Kiyo Kyujo or Thores Mishamoto:

_DISCLAIMER: Neither **ValarSpawn** or **Rukia (Natsumi)** own Trinity Blood. If ValarSpawn owned it, she'd immediately go on to working on the second season AND get her hands on every possible Trinity Blood-related merchandise, particularly anything with Tres Iqus. If Rukia (Natsumi) owned it…Valar isn't sure what would happen._


	2. Act I: Enter Maria

_DISCLAIMER: Neither **ValarSpawn** or **Rukia (Natsumi)** own Trinity Blood. If ValarSpawn owned it, she'd immediately go on to working on the second season AND get her hands on every possible Trinity Blood-related merchandise, particularly anything with Tres Iqus. If Rukia (Natsumi) owned it…Valar isn't sure what would happen._

Act I

She felt like her butt had gone numb from sitting. In fact, she suspected it was numb just as the first hour since they boarded the train expired. She felt cramped, which in turn, made her irritable. Glancing towards her companion, she narrowed her eyes in jealousy.

The girl sitting across from her was reading a book. If she was aware of the glares sent her way she showed no sign of it. After roughly ten minutes, the other girl shifted into a more comfortable position before looking at the other girl again.

"How can you be so comfortable when we've been sitting on these damn seats for so long?" "Well, distraction always works for me. Don't blame me for your inability to sit still, Sister Maria." "Grr…" The other girl growled sullenly. "Relax we're almost there." "…That's what you said before, Sister Kaya."

Kaya Syokka closed the book she was reading and beamed. "Why don't you start thinking on what you will do when we get home? After all, it might be some time before either of us is assigned a mission." "I guess you have a point there."

Both looked ordinary enough, but as always, looks can be deceiving. Maria was the taller of the two, dressed completely in the black robes of a Priest from the AX Division in the Vatican. Her brown mane with black highlights, some of the locks in small braids, stopped a few inches below her waist.

Instead of wearing the white gloves that normally went with the uniform she opted for fingerless black leather ones. Her eyes were gray, a fresh-looking scar running down the right eye. The look in her eyes right now pretty much scared most men from trying to come on to her.

Kaya, on the other hand, was a few inches smaller, with tanned skin and large brown eyes with brown hair the same shade as Maria's. Unlike Maria, she wore a white Nun's habit with blue borders and white gloves.

"How long till we get there…?" "A half-hour." "Oy…"

In the Vatican, the Killing Doll known as Father Tres Iqus (development number being HC-IIIX) was preoccupied with his current mission: typing up both his and Abel's reports of their last mission. Having the Krusnik as his partner often meant the Gunslinger was stuck doing both their reports, since Abel had a tendency to let this incredibly trivial duty slide.

If Tres was human, he would have rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. But he was not, so the Gunslinger did neither of those things, and merely continued working. Finally, just as the battle android was about to hit the **_"Save As…"_** option, the computer froze.

At first, Tres had not realized this so he clicked a few more times. When he did notice, a vague expression of annoyance appeared in his usually blank features and he shook the monitor. The screen turned blue and white letters appeared, saying, **_"There has been a systematic failure and the system must now shut down. All unsaved files will be lost."_**

That did it. The Gunslinger stood up and aimed at the computer. "Negative. You are not supposed to shut down." More letters appeared on the screen. **_"The system will shut down in ten seconds."_**

A gunshot pierced the silence of the AX Dept.

Roughly three minutes and twenty-four seconds later, Father William W. Wordsworth and Father Vaclav Havel rushed into the room. "Father Tres, did something happen!?"

Wordlessly, Tres holstered his gun. "Affirmative. It would not comply with what I asked." With that, he stepped away from the damaged computer and walked towards the door and out of the room, leaving them to gape in shock at the smoldering wreckage.

The thirty minutes had finally expired as the train pulled to a stop at the station. The passengers milled out, Kaya and Maria amongst them. "Should we go walking?" Kaya inquired as they stepped out of the train station. "Hmm, why not? It is a nice day out." Maria replied as she stretched her arms behind her while they walked down the street.

Indeed, the weather was ideal for moving about, whether one was in the city or in the country. Maria fought the impulse to suddenly start stripping in public. As much as she liked the uniform she wore, it would not do to burden the Vatican with a scandal, though she supposed that at least one of the Big Three would sympathize with her predicament.

The young woman inwardly snickered as she attempted to envision the conniption fit that would come over His Holiness and the Duke of Medici were such a thing to a occur, and she smiled.

If it meant she got to see their faces when they found out, it was enough incentive for her to do it.

Back in the Vatican, Tres was loitering in the Vatican's menagerie. Oftentimes, the Gunslinger would visit it, usually alone. More unusual was the fact that the animals seemed to take to his presence, despite that at some point or another the scent of blood and gunsmoke lingered on his clothes and person.

His skin, not as warm in comparison to a human's, did not deter them from approach. Tres did not dwell on the issue, merely acknowledged it and allowed the creatures to do as they willed.

Today, he was in the section that housed the wildcats. For something that kept the big cats caged in, it was rather vast, allowing for the housing of many _Felidae_ species. Naturally, the animals' food source was controlled so that the populations did become misbalanced. The moment he entered the room, a variety of the animals approached him, deep purrs rumbling from their throats.

Soon, Tres was all but surrounded by iridescent eyes and fur that ranged from sable to speckled, spotted or striped to white.

"As always, you never let me down, Maria." "I try my best not to, Your Eminence." Caterina Sforza smiled a little as she raised the teacup to her lips and drank. "Please, there is no need for those formalities between us. At least…not when we are alone."

She reached out with her free hand and squeezed Maria's hand affectionately. "I know. But at work, you are my superior, and I must address you as befits your title and position…Mother." The Duchess of Milan nodded in understanding.

"Tell me, Maria…have you any plans? Your mission with Sister Kaya was a bit longer than most, so I'm giving you some time off to rest." Maria toyed with one of her braids, thinking. "I don't think I have any, but I'll start making plans when I can." She stood up.

"Thanks for the tea. I'll be taking leave of you, Mom. Don't expect me at Vespers." Smirk. "You needn't remind me of your faith—or rather, the absence of it—Maria." Caterina murmured as her foster daughter closed the door.

Tres was gazing up at the glass ceiling, seemingly focused on watching the clouds float by. He was now in the Iriomote area of the wildcat section and the leopard cats were crowded about his person. At least two Iriomote kittens were lying on his stomach.

He had detected the presence of another outside the compound, but did not acknowledge them immediately, as it was only a constant presence in his life at the Vatican.

Outside the cage, Maria banged the glass with her fist lightly, seizing Tres' attention. The Gunslinger sat up, studying the movement of her lips as she mouthed inaudible words to him, words which he pieced together until he formed the intended message.

"_Want to go out tonight?"_

The android considered the question. "Going out" was usually tantamount to Maria going out into the streets of Rome and Tres accompanying her as her escort. While the former was quite capable of fending off unwanted attentions from her person, his person oftentimes discouraged most attempts of approach or even thoughts of raping her in the streets. For his part, Tres went along with these outings out of a deeply ingrained sense of duty, having been Maria's bodyguard in their child hood and pre-adolescence years.

And if they were outnumbered, well…neither went down easily.

He stood up and walked to the gate leading out of the compound, careful to prevent any Iriomote cats from leaving with him. Tres approached Maria, who looked at him expectantly for his answer.

"Positive." She smiled. "Good. The usual time, then?" Nod. Her smile widened as she hugged him and literally skipped out the door leading out of the menagerie.

If he was human, the android would have shrugged his shoulders in acceptance of Maria's behavior. As it was, he did not and merely followed her out the door.

They have been doing this sort of thing for quite a while now.

End Act I

E-ko, F-ko: And that concludes the first chapter of ValarSpawn's first Trinity Blood fic!  
F-ko: So please dear readers…

E-ko: Read and Review!


	3. Act II: The Cat in The Kitchen

Act II

It had been very cool that night.

It was to be expected; summer was ending and in turn, temperatures were declining at a slow and steady rate.

Being what he was, Tres had not been bothered much by the cold, but he still wore a thin cashmere turtleneck, so that his skin would not suffer from the cold biting winds that were sweeping through the city of late.

Since entering the club the Gunslinger had kept a watch on her. It turned out hardly necessary; the young woman had not exceeded her alcohol intake capacity and when dancing, it had been alone and within his field of vision.

In short, they returned to the Vatican in one piece, as usual.

He noted she had once again skipped morning prayers, as was her wont.

Neither Tres nor Deus Iqus from the VBI (Vatican Bureau of Inquisition), in the eyes of the Vatican's clergy, were required to attend religious functions like Mass or Vespers; artificial intelligence did not need to depend on religion.

It did not stop the android from accompanying Caterina Sforza to the aforementioned religious functions. The possibilities of her or her siblings being targeted during mass were slim but possible, after all…

Maria's case, however, was somewhat different. For one, many disapproved of her reasons but they tolerated it, with the exception of some overly stubborn individuals. Despite being a nun by occupation, she did not keep with the rules of her position.

The reason was a human term which held no tangible significance to Tres Iqus whatsoever.

She was atheist.

He knew the meaning of the term—a person who did not believe in any known faith or religion conceived by _Homo Sapiens_.

"I serve the Holy See yet I do not believe in the teachings of the Good Book. Does that make me an irony or a hypocrite? The answer is irrelevant, however one looks at it; what matters are my efforts in how to best serve Her Eminence's interests."

Seeing everyone had stood up to receive the Host, he followed suit and stood beside Caterina, offering his arm to her, which she accepted.

Outside the chapel, Maria and Brother Bartholomaios, otherwise known as Deus Iqus (HC-IIX). Unlike Tres, Deus for some reason had a proper human name, albeit it was a rather archaic form of Bartholomew. She put this down to the VBI having baptized and confirmated the android once he was welcomed to their ranks.

In appearance, Deus Iqus towered a few inches over Tres, some of these possibly because his hair seemed naturally spiked up. In contrast to the Gunslinger's chestnut-colored hair, his was darker, nearly bordering on a dark coffee color. Like the Gunslinger, he had dark brown eyes as well.

"Does the morning find you well, Sister Maria? You seem quite at ease." Sigh. "I am. What about you?" "I am doing well also, Sister Maria." She stirred the steaming hot chocolate as she waited for it to cool down so that she would not burn her tongue.

"What will you do after this, Deus?" "I was thinking of visiting the firing range; it never hurts to polish up on your technique." "But you weren't really taught that simulated _gun kata_ like Tres were you?" "No, not really."

They remained silent for a few seconds, the silence punctuated with a faint sip. "…Humanity can be quite silly sometimes, don't you think?" "I do not think I would be the proper person to argue that point with, Sister Maria. I hardly count as "human." Pause; sip. "There's an argument that can't be challenged."

After Morning Prayers concluded, Tres dutifully escorted Caterina to her office. He was walking over to his usual corner, when she stopped him. "Father Tres, why don't you take a break for now? I'll be quite fine." "Positive." He inclined his head to her in respect before turning around and walking out the door.

His room was practically next door to Caterina's chambers, connected to them by a thick hidden door on the left wall. It was a rather Spartan affair, the few personal possessions he had neatly arranged on the tables and counters. They were mostly photographs of key persons, or moments, in his life.

Tres' eyes fell momentarily on a photograph of what was seemingly a family portrait before lying down on the bed and going into sleep mode.

It was so close and yet, there was still some distance between them.

But his quarry was definitely here; that scent, to him, was above all the others, despite the mass confusion of scents in this place.

_Soon…I will see you again. _

Suddenly, he felt a shadow looming over him.

"Hey, how did you get in here!?"

Back in his room, the Gunslinger bolted upright, awakened by a loud yowl followed by human voices though he could not discern the words exchanged at the moment. Taking his guns, Tres left the room, falling in step beside Hugue de Watteau as they walked briskly towards the source of the ruckus.

"Father Watteau, what is the situation?" "I don't really know; I only got here myself when I heard a yowl coming from the direction of the kitchens and dining hall. I think a cat got in." Pause. "A cat?" "Yes, a cat…or someone who's really good at imitating cat noises." The blond Sword Dancer shrugged before sprinting down the hall. Tres followed him.

That yowl…it held a distinct familiarity.

In the kitchens, many of the Vatican staff were running and getting into small accidents as they attempted to do an incredible mundane task that was quickly becoming an impossibility: the capture of a small feline beastie with dark brown eyes and a strange mottled fur pattern that one would normally find on wild cats.

End Act II

E-ko: And that's the end of chapter two!

F-ko: Normally it would be longer…

Both: But ValarSpawn's inspiration gave out here! (Sweatdrop)

F-ko: And now, readers…

E-ko: On to the reviews!

**2stupid**: I'm glad you enjoyed Tres' little spat against the computer. It was inspired by a fanart on deviantART. Although in the fanart the computer was spared…U

**Sinn Fein**: I'm glad you like it! I will try my best to update frequently! (Military salute)

**Anna' Azure**: I will write more! I am, in fact, planning the third chapter as I type this!

E-ko: And that's all for the reviews…

F-ko: Readers, you know what to do!

Both: (twirling) Read & Review! Read & Review!

V-ko (ValarSpawn in disguise): You're such a pain sometimes…

Both: (ignore her)


	4. Act III: Permission to Own This Animal

Act III

"Lady Caterina, permission to take full custody of this animal."

Tres spoke in a monotone voice holding the cat by the scruff of its neck before her. It had taken some time but they had finally caught the stray cat. However, just as they were about to kick it out, the Gunslinger had seized the animal by the scruff of its neck and marched to Caterina's office. Needlessly said, everyone was puzzled by his actions.

Having heard him say that, they were even more puzzled. Tres had never shown any remote signs of affection towards any animal, though he seemed to have no problem with them swarming around his person.

Caterina blinked, eyeing the dirty mongrel dangling from his hand. "Is there a reason for this request, Father Tres?" The answer was swift and concise. "Positive. He is mine."

There was a period of silence, which was broken by Maria's voice. "Wait, you're the cat's owner? But how, it doesn't have identification or a collar." "It is true that it has no collar on its person at the moment, but it is only because I have the collar."

He dropped the cat, trusting it would land on its feet, and slipped off his right glove, unbuckling a black leather collar from his wrist. It was studded, with a nameplate in place of tags, the cat's identification and medical records branded on the name plate.

"Almace Straif. Owner: Tres Iqus Garibaldi." Sister Kate read some of its contents, blinking a little at the mention of the man who brought the Killing Dolls into existence. Caterina sighed softly.

"Very well, you may keep the animal. But you are responsible for its keeping, Father Tres." "Acknowledged, Lady Caterina." That said he picked up the cat again, turned around and left the office.

Shortly after leaving the office, Tres was preoccupied with bathing Almace, using his own shampoo and conditioner as a temporary substitute for what he'd normally use on the cat. The Gunslinger did not ponder on how the Bengal cat found him, or how he left home, for that matter.

As he was rinsing the cat, Maria opened the door and entered the bathroom. For an instant, she momentarily forgot the reason she came, her eyes transfixed on Tres, or rather, his bare chest and abdomen. Almost automatically, the young woman's gaze caressed his skin, examining its smoothness as well as the scars decorating it.

"What is it, Sister Maria?"

Tres' voice immediately brought her back to Earth. Maria shook her head slightly, silently scolding herself for allowing Tres to get to her like that. "We have an assignment. Her Eminence will bring us up to date in the situation after supper, Father Tres."

He noted the slight treble in her voice, but did not bring it up. "Acknowledged. Is that all, Sister Maria?" "It is, but I also wanted to see your kitty." Maria replied, approaching the Gunslinger.

Tres gave a slight nod as he began drying the cat vigorously. Maria met the cat's gaze, staring at it for a few seconds before noticing that its eyes held familiar glow.

"That is not a normal cat, is it Tres?" "Positive." He paused, so slightly that even she could not have detected it. "Almace Straif is also a machine." "Ah." She looked at the cat again, and gently picked up his paw, feeling for the animal's body heat.

Maria wanted to compare between them, but she had a hunch it was unnecessary.

The cat was decidedly warmer than the battle android.

End Act III

E-ko: And that ends Act III!

F-ko: A bit on the short side, but totally necessary!

E-ko: And now…

F-ko: To the Reviews!

**Sinn Fein**: Ha ha! So it would seem, Sinn Fein! However, this is a special cat!

Both: Remember, Beloved Readers!

Both: Read…

V-ko: AND REVIEW!


	5. Act IV: Crusnik Hunt I

Act IV

Maria looked outside the window, a sleepy-eyed expression on her face. It was still some time before they arrived at their destination. She glanced towards her partner momentarily, replaying the briefing of their assignment in her mind.

Shortly after supper ended, Maria and Tres had gone to Caterina's office. They had only waited ten minutes before she came in and took her place at her desk. Clearing her throat, she gazed at them levelly as she addressed them.

"Your new assignment will be in Athens, the capital of Greece. In normal circumstances, we'd leave the situation to local authorities, but the circumstances are hardly normal, as you've guessed." Caterina paused, allowing them to drink in the information before continuing.

"A local crime ring that deals in both prostitution and slavery seems to have taken an interest in capturing children—hybrids, to be precise." There was a thud as a chair hit the floor.

"H-hybrids?" Maria fought to keep her voice calm as she gazed at Caterina. Caterina met her gaze impassively. "Yes, Sister Maria—hybrids…Human-Methuselah hybrids."

And that was the reason why she and Tres were now on the airship _Dreadnought Leviathan_. It was also mainly why she could not sleep.

She, Maria S. Langden, was one such hybrid.

Having once been humans themselves, there was nothing to stop Methuselah from procreating with humans—save perhaps bitter hatred and resentment between the races. Maria supposed that the disease might also act like an STD and infect the human during intercourse, but with the animosity between humans and vampires, this concern fell flat in comparison.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar, monotone, voice.

"Sister Maria, we still have a few hours before we are in sight of Greece. I strongly recommend you rest until we arrive at our destination." She flapped her hand at him dismissively before standing up from her seat and walking towards the bar.

Tres watched her, automatically scanning her person. His partner seemed to be functioning properly, everything was normal, as it should be.

So why the inexplicable restlessness?

As the Gunslinger watched her walk back towards their seats, a Styrofoam cup filled with a steaming substance that he determined to be hot chocolate in hand, he decided to take it upon himself to ensure that Maria took the needed resting period, if not for her sake, then for the sake of the mission.

No sooner than Maria had started drinking the contents of the cup that she felt the battle android's gaze on her person. His eyes betrayed no feeling, but she was starting to feel like she had done something bad under the pressure of his gaze.

Slowly, she looked at him from the corner of her eye, still drinking. Inwardly, she relished the burning sensation caused from the hot liquid scalding her tongue and throat.

"Yes?" "Sister Maria, I insist you have some rest for the remainder of the flight. Drinking caffeine will not help you sleep." "I am well aware that chocolate is a stimulant, Tres; it just never affected me like that."

Maria tipped her head back, draining the cup before wiping her lips with a napkin. "If it will silence you, Father Tres, I will try to sleep, alright?" Without waiting for his response, she pushed the seat all the way back and settled into a comfortable position.

The Gunslinger kept a vigilant eye on his partner until he was certain she was asleep before going into Sleep Mode.

_Fire. Smoke. Dust. A thousand voices crying out in pain._

_It was all wrong. Why could he not return to that warm, dark, abyss? It was decidedly better than this new, chaotic world with its blinding, yet hazy lights._

_Weak. He felt so weak, nearly lifeless. Almost as though he was in pieces…_

"_Please, save him! Save my boy!"_

Tres sat up in his seat, both alert and confused once he realized everything was normal. However, before the Gunslinger could begin to process the strange hazy images he had just experienced, Maria's voice brought him back to Earth.

"We're approaching the hangar now, Tres." The android nodded, pushing all thoughts concerning the images to the back of his mind for later consideration. "What do you suppose should be our starting point?"

"We will know once Sister Kate contacts us and provides us with the required information, Sister Maria." He did not take notice of Maria's eyebrow twitching visibly as she mentally cursed at herself. She felt dumb for asking now.

Once the two Vatican officials left the vicinity of the airport, Tres heard slight static coming from his communicator before Kate's voice was heard. "Iron Maiden calling Gunslinger." "Gunslinger reporting, Sister Kate. Status report on the mission?"

There was a slight pause. "I've managed to pinpoint several locations throughout Athens that might, or might have, served the crime ring as a base of operations." "Understood. Rewriting resident tactical program to Search Mode. Gunslinger out."

And thus began the search.

It was afternoon when Maria called a halt. So far, all the places they had searched up to this point were abandoned, though they had shown signs of recent inhabitation. Judging from their findings, Maria assessed that they were searching for a large group of people.

At the moment, Tres and Maria were currently combing the wine cellar of an abandoned wine shop. They walked noiselessly down the aisles, tall wooden racks holding ancient unused casks looming high above their heads on both sides.

Just as Tres rounded a corner, a boy suddenly burst out from his hiding place between a set of tuns and ran towards Maria. The Gunslinger immediately turned on his heel as he whipped out his guns, the bullets inches away from the boy's heels.

"Damnit Tres, don't shoot!" Maria immediately caught the running child, the impact of his body hitting hers sending them to the dusty floor. The boy, in an attempt to free himself, bit her shoulder as hard as he could. She bit her lip as she felt his fangs puncture her skin and smacked him half-heartedly as a warning.

"I apologize for my friend's tendency to shoot at anything that makes sudden moves but that is no reason to…" Her eyes fell on a barcode tattoo under the boy's left eye. "Bite me..."

End Act IV

E-ko: Ooh, things are getting exciting now!

F-ko: The reviews are still low though… (points at chart)

E-ko: That's true, but everything is shipshape!

F-ko: Almost everything…points at V-ko

V-ko: Gunmetal Hound….T.T

E-ko: Is she that obsessed with them?

F-ko: Seems that way. On to the reviews!

**Sinn Fein**: I'm glad you liked it. Next chapter coming up…NOW!

E-ko: Remember this, readers…

F-ko: A constructive review a day keeps writer's block away!

Both: So READ & REVIEW!


	6. Act V: Crusnik Hunt II

Act V

"So…what's your name?"

She watched him eat, his body still showing signs of wariness. She didn't blame him; Tres did shoot at him, after all. But then again, Tres always did react too quickly at sudden movements.

The boy chewed for a few more seconds before swallowing. "C-Camus. I don't know my last name." She nodded in response, studying the boy. He appeared to be at least a year or two older than Elise Wasmeier, the young Telepath that was currently living at St. Rachel's Convent in Rome. He was skinny, with messy black hair strongly reminiscent of L from _Death Note_. His eyes were mismatched: one dark-brown, the other gray.

"I can't blame you for being on your guard, after what my partner did. Once again, I'm sorry; it's a reflex of his. Still, if I am correct in assuming that you're connected to the crime ring, we're here to help." She paused, and smiled warmly at him.

"How silly of me to forget my manners." She extended her hand. "I am Sister Maria S. Langden, an official from the Vatican, AX Dept. My partner is Father Tres Iqus, also from the AX."

Slowly, Camus took her hand and shook it. This girl didn't appear to want to hurt him, and she seemed capable of keeping her strange, trigger-happy partner in check. Still, he should not lower his guard, just in case.

"…Doesn't it hurt?" He asked, glancing at her right shoulder. Maria had removed the black overcoat and was now repairing the tears left behind by his fangs when he bit her. There was a rectangle-shaped band-aid slapped squarely on the curve of her neck. She looked up at him, the needle still moving.

"When you bit me, yes. It doesn't bother so much now, unless I have an itch here, little Methuselah." His eyes widened by a fraction. "The bite gave me away?" Nod. "Not that it matters much, really." She locked her gaze with his. "Now...tell me everything you know about the crime ring, Camus."

Some time later, Maria stepped out of the room softly closing the door behind her. Tres stood up from where he had been sitting on the floor. "Did you acquire any information that might render assistance in our mission, Sister Maria?" "Yes. It took a while, but I did." She remained silent lost in her thoughts, her expression troubled.

After waiting for ten seconds, the Gunslinger coughed, snapping his partner out of her reverie. "The information, Sister Maria." "Right…of course." She cleared her throat a few times before beginning to speak.

"From what I've learned from Camus, it confirms that Her Eminence was right about the children being hybrids. For several months now, the crime ring has focused on capturing only Human-Methuselah children and they've been rather successful at it. Camus managed to escape as the slavers were transferring their charges to their latest location." She paused, unsure how to continue.

Tres raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is that all, Sister Maria?" "No, it is not. They have a large number of kids with them—I'm guessing at least somewhere from fifty to sixty children in total. All save Camus were taken to their newest hideout. The boy has offered to lead us there." Her voice now had a mechanical ring to it. Whatever was worrying her before still nagged at her.

Tres frowned imperceptibly. "Status report, Sister Maria." "Hmm, troubled." "What troubles you?" There was a long pause. "I keep thinking about the chapter on Hybrids, particularly the section of speculations concerning them." Naturally, Tres quoted the aforementioned text.

"_It is speculated that one in ten Hybrids (the product of a sexual union between a Terran and a Methuselah) is a Crusnik. This theory, of course, has yet to be be proven otherwise as the majority of Hybrids rarely live to see adulthood."_

The Gunslinger looked at her. "I fail to see how this is relevant to our mission, Sister Maria." Sigh. "That's just it; all those children are Crusniks, Tres."

To that, Tres had nothing to say. After a few minutes of silence, Maria spoke.

"Contact Sister Kate and tell her to fly that piece of junk she calls an airship over here." "We initiate the plan tonight then, Sister Maria?" "…Positive."

End Act V

F-ko: And Act V is up!

E-ko: Hmm, seems kind of short, no?

F-ko: Quiet! Don't remind the author of that! (glances at V-ko)

E-ko: Oh, I almost forgot that…

V-ko: (not very satisfied with herself for making a short chapter)

F-ko: The reviews are still on the low side, but V-ko is trying her best to promote her fanfiction!

E-ko: And she's doing quite well!

**Sinn Fein**: Please don't say that, Sinn Fein; it might discourage them. (shifty look) Anyways, thanks for reading! As a reward you get an update!

E-ko: (reads an index card and throws it away) This just in, readers! After the first ten chapters, V-ko (aka ValarSpawn) is going to include a surprise!

F-ko: Naturally, if we tell you what it is, it would spoil things!

Both: So please…READ & REVIEW! (dance a Bolero)


	7. Act VI: Crusnik Hunt III

Act VI

It was dark, and the streets were strangely bereft of people even though it was at this time that people would go out to movies, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. It worked to their advantage, however. The less others saw, the better.

Maria and Tres followed Camus as he led them towards what they assumed to be the location of the crime ring's current hideout. Some time had passed since they left the hotel (Maria made sure to have their briefcases shipped to the Vatican the moment they decided on a course of action) and she was wondering how long it would be until they arrived when both boy and Gunslinger stopped.

She stopped as well, blinking several times before she realized where they were.

"Camus, is this the place?" The young woman inquired, eyeing the steps that marked entry into the ancient heart of Athens: the Acropolis. Camus stared towards the path of the stairs before answering her.

"The slavers aren't good at hiding information from us. It's only now that information can be put to good use." That said, he began the ascent, and they followed.

After climbing for several minutes they reached the height of the Acropolis. Camus led them towards the Parthenon and they were only somewhat surprised to find that a loose tile concealed a hidden staircase underneath it. Without hesitation, they plunged into the dark depths.

It did not take them too long to find the kids, held in makeshift cells, a group of ten per cell. Since Camus had escaped, there were fifty-nine of them in total. Some of the children recognized Camus and called to him.

"Camus, what's going on?" "Who are those people?" "They're the good guys. They're gonna help us out. We just have to cooperate with them." He answered their questions in a calm, mature fashion that most children didn't have at his age. As he explained everything to each group, she glanced towards Tres.

"Tres, track down those slavers while I handle the kids. Track them, mind you. Then report back here and tell me how many there are." "Positive." He walked down the hallway. Maria stared after him, a hint of longing in her gaze as she watched him round a corner and vanish from sight. Camus' voice brought her back to reality.

"You like him, don't you, Maria?" Maria made a strange expression, somewhere between a frown, grimace and a smile. "Hehe…That's some imagination you have, Camus. Shouldn't we get working on those cells, though?" She said, gently pushing him towards the first cell.

Meanwhile, Tres had made a lot of progress. So far in the first part of the search he counted at least thirty of them. The number increased by twenty on his second round. He silently combed the place a third time unnoticed before stealing back to the cells.

By the time he returned, nearly all the cells had been opened and Maria was working on the final cell. "There are approximately fifty criminals, Sister Maria." "Hmm, either of us can take them on single-handedly. I highly doubt they will come peacefully and give themselves up to arrest." Just then, Tres heard the sound of static coming from his communicator.

"Iron Maiden calling Gunslinger. What is your current location?" "We are currently underground, beneath the Parthenon, Sister Kate." Slight pause. "Understood. We'll be there in five minutes. How many children will be coming on board?" "Sixty in total. Gunslinger out."

Maria finished making one last count before turning to him. "Hmm…Lead them out in groups of ten, Tres. I'll take care of the trash." With that she ran down the hall. The Gunslinger watched her for a few seconds before turning to the children and organizing them into groups of ten.

"In the name of the Vatican, you are all under arrest for illegal trafficking of child slavery, child prostitution, and prostitution in general."

Needlessly said, the men who were members of the crime ring were completely taken off-guard by the appearance of a young woman dressed in the robes of a Vatican priest bursting into the room.

Soon, however, they recovered and decided that Maria did not pose a threat. They were, in fact, rather keen on introducing to their ways of showing affection.

"Now, now, miss. Girls shouldn't play with guns, especially those sworn to God." Pause. "They might get hurt." One of them remarked, leering at her. Maria grinned. And her grin was far from pleasant; it was more adequate to call it frightening.

"Hmph. I didn't plan on using guns anyway." Nonchalantly, she placed her gun back in its holster. The men took it as a sign of surrender and rushed her as a flock of carrion birds rush a corpse.

Maria merely smiled and drew out a sword, its surface strangely tinted with red. "Most likely I can defeat you with 10 of my power, but I feel like using 20 today…"

The blade flashed in the lamplight, followed by screams of pain.

Tres was just herding the last group of children into the _Iron Maiden II_ when he heard a crunch-like thud behind him. Turning around, he saw Maria, straightening and dusting herself after pushing the tile back into place, her uniform, face, and hair splattered with blood.

"The enemy has been terminated, Sister Maria?" "Yes." She seized his hand and dragged him after her up the ramp. "Come on, the sooner I start on my report, the more free time I get when we return!"

The Gunslinger nodded and allowed Maria to pull him into the ship.

End Act VI

E-ko: Wow! Two chapters in one day!

F-ko: This calls for a celebration!

E-ko: (Pulls out champagne bottle and shakes it)

F-ko: What do you suppose will happen next?

E-ko: That's easy! We will know in the next update.

F-ko and if you want the update…

Both: DON'T FORGET TO READ & REVIEW!


	8. Act VII: Forced out of Office

Act VII

"Psst, wake up!"

A scream was immediately muffled. "No need for that! It's only me, Uncle!" "A somewhat scratchy voice answered. "What are you doing here…and why are you waking me up so early…?" The first voice spoke again.

"That's easy. We're going to hang out today. Besides, you need it." The slight creak of two doors being opened was heard, followed by the soft thud and rustling of clothes hitting the bed. "There, put that on. I'll be in the bathroom while you dress."

The occupant of the bedroom sighed as he heard the noise of soft footsteps and the opening and closing of the bathroom door before he grabbed the clothes his unprecedented visitor had set out.

His Holiness Alessandro XVIII removed the t-shirt he was wearing and pulled on the light-blue turtle neck, followed by long dark blue jeans, black sneakers, and a black-leather vest that went down to his thighs. The vest itself came with a hood which he could use whenever he wanted. Turning off the dimmed lights again, he turned towards the direction of the bathroom. "You can come out now, Maria."

The door opened, and Maria exited the bathroom. She wore a black sweater with a stylized logo which merged the capital letters K and A, the words "Dark Tower" and "Junkies" above and below the letters, respectively. The only color used in the logo was red. She wore beige-colored jeans and a black-and-white striped light woolen scarf was in one of her coat pockets.

However the first thing that caught Alessandro's attention was her hat.

In a place such as the Vatican, the hat seemed rather out of place. It was black, with two side flaps that covered the ears, which would be useful when protecting the ears from the cold. On both flaps were two skulls and on the section above the forehead were two white ovals that made it seem like the hat had eyes. Finally, on the back there was a rather crooked "tail" that wagged and bounced whenever Maria moved too much.

She ran up to him, smiling widely. "Let's leave now. We still have time before everyone wakes up, and Tres is waiting outside." The young Pope barely had time to object as he was dragged out of his bedroom.

Outside St. Peter's Basilica, Tres and Almace Straif were waiting for Maria to show up with Alessandro. Almace's body was comfortably curled on Tres' shoulders as he extended and retracted his claws, occasionally pricking Tres' coat and possibly causing damage to his it. Tres ignored this however, and merely watched the occasionally twitching motions of the feline's tail.

After a while, Almace glanced at his owner out of the corner of his eye. Tres met the cat's gaze and their eyes glowed briefly before a conversation ensued in their minds. The term "conversation" did, and should not, actually apply to what they were doing, nor should it be called telepathy. It was simply a mutual ability shared by the Killing Dolls and this cyborg Bengal cat.

"_**I see you've made friends here."**_

"_**Friends? You mean colleagues and superiors."**_

"_**No, I mean friends."**_

"_**What are friends?"**_

Exasperated sigh. **_"Never mind. I could not help noticing that girl spends much time with you."_**

"…_**So does Lady Caterina and Father Nightroad. That does not compute."**_

"…_**Lady Caterina does not count much; you're mostly her bodyguard. And Father Nightroad is your partner and he spends time with the other priests and nuns as well as alone."**_

"_**Your point?"**_

If Almace wasn't a cat, he'd be frowning at Tres now. _**"You have a terrible inferiority complex."** _

Tres was confused by the cat's response. _Inferiority complex?_ Before he could puzzle out the meaning, Maria and Alessandro arrived, Alessandro looking slightly ruffled. Maria, on the other hand, looked like she was high on sugar.

The chances were highly unlikely, but the Gunslinger decided to keep an eye on her, mostly for the sake of Pope Alessandro's health than hers.

"**_And his sanity…"_** Almace added in Tres' mind.

"What is our destination, Sister Maria?" Maria bit her lip in thought. After a few seconds, she grabbed their hands and started to walk in the direction of the train station. Once they purchased their tickets and boarded the train, they sat down, the seating order comprising of Tres, Alessandro and Maria.

Alessandro looked towards his adopted niece. Despite the time that had passed, both Alessandro and Maria still had some difficulty adjusting to the fact that Alessandro was Maria's uncle. This was mostly due to their age.

Maria's actual age was shrouded in mystery, but it was estimated she was at least seventeen to nineteen years old, though Father William was firmly adamant that she was closer to seventeen than nineteen. Alessandro on the other hand, was two years her junior, if the assumption of Maria being seventeen was proven as fact.

It was mostly because of this and Alessandro's disposition that Maria treated him as she would treat her own colleagues at the AX or other teenagers instead of the solemn reverence that was due him.

Alessandro was brought out of his thoughts by the train's sudden halt. "This is our stop." "What are we doing again? You never answered Father Tres earlier." Pause. "Yeah, I didn't, did I?" Maria grinned. "We're gonna have breakfast. All the food-places should be opening about now and there aren't many people about, guaranteeing us fast service."

"Is there any actual reason for doing this?" "I thought you deserved it. I mean, that's a lot of pressure you're dealing with—Their Eminences fighting whenever there's a delicate crisis and you're in the middle of it all."

She did not mention the occasions where the Duke of Medici showed the lesser noble aspects of his character. "And despite all the ruckus, you try your best to be a good Pope." Maria smiled encouragingly at Alessandro as the three of them reached the café she had in mind and took one of the tables outside.

At the same time in the Vatican, certain persons were working themselves into a panic.

The Pope was discovered missing that morning. Since both Caterina and Francesco were not properly awake, their reactions were more erratic and spontaneous. One such example was Francesco barking orders to deploy bombs to Byzantium while yelling that vampires had kidnapped His Holiness.

Caterina was less excitable, and a quick cup of freshly-brewed coffee restored her to full wakefulness. She smacked her brother, effectively silencing him. "Brother, there is a rational explanation to this and I am certain your claim is far from it." At that moment, Father William and Sister Simone from the VBI walked into the dining room. Both brother and sister turned to regard them. "Did you find anything, Father William?"

William puffed on his pipe. "Well, we've searched the room and I can assure you there has been no sign of forced entry or a struggle. Therefore, we can rule out the possibility of terrorists, criminals, or enemies of the Vatican."

It took Brother Petros and Brother Matthaois to restrain Francesco from throttling the Albion professor. "How can you be so certain of that!?" Sister Simone coughed, getting the Duke of Medici's attention. "For one, Your Eminence, a kidnapper would not go through the trouble of making His Holiness dress properly." "And there's more…!" Said a third voice.

Everyone turned to see Deus Iqus leaning against the doorframe. He was smirking knowingly.

"Father Iqus was not at his post this morning."

Caterina put two and two together. After several minutes of silence, she spoke.

"Where's the paperwork?"

Maria was starting to wonder if bringing the Gunslinger along had been a good idea.

Several times now, she had caught herself staring at him, his person an irresistible magnet that paperclips and quarters could not resist. It was not that he was unpleasant to look at, quite the opposite; he was very pleasant to look at. And if she was not careful Maria could very well be staring at him the entire day.

_I thought I had gotten it out of my system...!_ The young woman thought, somewhat angrily at herself, as she adjusted her hat. An image of a certain battle android appeared in her mind, which she hurriedly pushed out of her head, focusing the entirety of her being on walking.

The trio was now walking through the streets, having no real destination in mind. All the same, Maria's idea of a "forced break" had worked. Alessandro seemed quite relaxed now, and appeared to be gaining some measure of confidence.

She smiled inwardly, approving of this change, despite that it be temporary. Hopefully, it would cheer her uncle up whenever he's had a bad day.

After a brief visit to the Roman Forum, they stopped at a dessert shop. As they waited for someone to attend them, they were spotted by Abel and Esther. "Tres, Maria! What brings you—Oh, Your Holi--!" The Crusnik nearly stumbled when Maria pulled him down and covered his mouth.

"Abel, let's try to avoid a commotion so call him by his proper name and not his official designation, alright?" "Y…yes." Abel breathed as she slowly released her hold on his mouth. Esther grinned. "May we join you? Your table has room for two more, after all."

Alessandro looked at the Gunslinger and his niece. "Of course you can join us—if that is alright with Maria and Father Tres." "Of course! Sister Esther's company is always appreciated—as is my godfather's." "Positive."

Esther blinked as she sat down between Tres and Abel. "Father Abel, you're Maria's godfather." Chuckle. "Strange isn't it? Almost everyone knows me and Caterina have known each other since before the founding of the AX and as a result are very close friends. Yet they seem to miss out on the fact that Caterina chose me as Maria's godfather when she was baptized."

At that moment a waitress came to take their orders. Finally, the only person left was Tres. Already having his answer he opened his mouth to reply when a strange, alien feeling told him otherwise. "…What she is having." The Gunslinger paused as he gestured towards Maria. "To split." The waitress wrote it down in her notepad and left.

If the others had any thoughts concerning his response, they remained silent on the subject and continued talking of other mundane subjects until their orders arrived. Maria handed a spoon to him before taking her own and digging into the pan of brownie fudge sundae with two balls of chocolate and pistachio ice cream.

_Why did I say that? I do not require sustenance as living beings do; I am not alive._ Tres eyed the chunk of brownie and pistachio ice cream on his spoon somewhat dubiously before inserting the spoon in his mouth, biting and chewing on the food as he withdrew the spoon from his mouth.

For some reason, the Gunslinger ignored the flavor of the pistachio, focusing more on the chocolate.

_Sweet…with a hint of bitterness._

End Act VII

E-ko: And here's chapter seven!

F-ko: Only two more chapters till the surprise!

Both: And now, the reviews!

**Sinn Fein**: I'm glad you liked it. I thought a little more action might have been needed but it's the readers' opinions that count! Here's your update!

E-ko: The more reviews…

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	9. Act VIII: Old Flame Reborn

Act VIII

_A young boy was running towards the house, taking great care not to disturb whatever he was cradling in his arm._

_He pushed the door roughly with his free hand and ran down the corridor, heedless of the fact that he was leaving muddy footprints on the polished wooden floor and the Arabian carpets that decorated it._

_The boy burst into the office, and almost instantly, its occupant, a man with medium-length graying brown hair, and mismatched eyes turned around to regard him. Both brown and red eyes peered at him from behind slightly tinted glasses._

"_What's the matter boy? Is there a reason for you to rush into my office without knocking? I did not raise you like that." The boy approached him, carefully holding out his burden and placing it gently on the man's hands before meeting his gaze, his right eye occasionally sending a flicker of red._

"_Can you save him?"_

"I didn't think that priests were allowed to have pets. Is Father Tres an exception, Father Abel?" Elise inquired as she played with Almace Straif. "It seems that way, Miss Elise. Usually we don't keep pets in the Vatican; the closest to that is probably the menagerie, and its purpose is associated with the restoration and growth of endangered species. Almace here…" Abel paused, unsure of how to continue.

"Almace was searching for me, Miss Wasmeier." The Gunslinger finished for him as he joined them in the garden kept by the Sisters of St. Rachel's Convent. They had been assigned a mission to check on the young telepath for a few days, and it had been Abel's idea to bring along Almace.

At first, Tres had refused the idea point-blank, saying the animal would be a distraction. Abel had countered by saying that Elise loved cats and she probably wouldn't mind one more, and the sisters at the Convent wouldn't be adverse to it, anyway. Eventually, the android gave in, mostly to shut his partner up.

Once there, it turned out that Abel had been right; the sisters did _not_ object to having to feed one more cat, and Elise was immediately taken with Almace Straif. As he watched the Bengal cat preen and purr loudly under all the attention he was receiving, the Gunslinger felt a twinge of what could be interpreted as annoyance. He tried not to spoil the animal.

Elise's voice brought him back to reality. "Almace Straif… That's an interesting name. Does it mean anything?" The response from the Gunslinger was concise and to the point. "The Almace comes from a book called _Chanson de Roland_. It was a legendary sword that belonged to Turpin, the Archbishop of Reims."

Pause. "Straif was something I randomly thought up, or I thought I did, until Professor Garibaldi informed me that it was actually the Irish term for the fourteenth letter of the Ogham Alphabet."

Blink. "Hm, you never struck me as the book-reading type, Tres." Tres fixed his eyes on Abel. "Negative, Father Nightroad; I do not read." "O-Oh…I see." "I now take leave of you to secure the perimeter." Almace hopped onto Tres' shoulders, assuming his usual position as the Gunslinger stood up and walked away.

After a few minutes, Elise turned to Abel. "How long have you known him?" "Tres? Oh…quite long. Practically watched him grow up as he was training to become an AX priest. Despite that and the many missions we've been on, there's still a lot of things I don't know about him."

As Tres was doing his third circuit that day, he thought. Not processed, but thought. Two separate thought streams. The first was mostly nostalgic; as he was recalling the day he first met Almace, who was then a weak dying kitten that would soon join his dead kin. That day, something in his being had clamored at Tres to do something about the situation; this one still had a chance to survive.

So he had gone to the person he knew to be most capable of saving the kitten: Gepetto Garibaldi, the man who played the role of midwife to the Killing Dolls.

The second thought stream was more confusing, since it concerned his most recent outing with Maria. He had meant to inform the waitress that he did not require any sustenance but for no comprehensible reason, had told her he'd split the sundae Maria ordered.

Maria had not objected to it, and the others had not brought it up. As a whole, he found the taste of the concoction appealing, but it was the chocolate that interested him. Tres was unable to comprehend why, though.

In the end, the Gunslinger assumed it to be a glitch in his programming. It was a reasonable explanation for his misconduct. It wasn't the first time such "glitches" have occurred, at any rate.

Meanwhile at the Vatican, Caterina eyed the large rectangle-sized invitation with the fanciful gold lettering. For the seventh time since its arrival in the mail.

It was an invitation to a masque at the Doges' Palace in Venice that her grandmother was hosting. Naturally, all or most of the Italian nobility would attend as well as others, etc, etc.

While Caterina did not mind the occasional party every now and then, there were times when she could simply not tolerate such frivolities—like today. Luckily, it was still a few weeks before the appointed date.

The Duchess of Milan wondered how she would get Maria to come along. She knew that her foster daughter occasionally enjoyed these things as Caterina did, but she also tried to avoid them.

Caterina assumed it had something to do with the obvious hostility between Maria and the younger nobles. Maria found most of them to be superficial and, in her words, "plastic." The aforementioned nobles, on their part, found her to be rather unconventional and disruptive.

She knew first hand that the nobility was always playing power games. It was no exception with Maria's generation. And some of them had found in a rather unpleasant manner that the heiress of the Duchess of Milan was no one's puppet.

Caterina sighed. She would have to drag Maria along with her this year, as she did not feel like coming up with a convincing excuse for Maria's absence. Taking an additional piece of paper, she wrote on it and attached it to the invitation before summoning one of the sisters. "Take this to the Duke of Medici."

Maria was grateful; someone up there was feeling sympathetic towards her. When she heard that Tres and Abel had been sent on a simple mission to check in on Elise Wasmeier at St. Rachel's, she had silently screamed an _"Alleluia!"_ in her mind as she was running through the halls, provoking a scolding from Brother Jacob Side-A and a second scolding from Brother Phillipos when she began to toy around with Brother Petros' _"Screamer."_

She ignored them, of course, and as a result, the mechanism that caused Petros' lance to rotate quickly was damaged.

Naturally, there was an uproar in the Inquisition Department.

If people knew the reason for this behavior, they would have been dumbfounded. Why was Maria so happy at the fact that Tres Iqus was gone, if only for a few days, a week at most? From what they've witnessed, aside from Father Nightroad and Cardinal Sforza, Maria was the person whom spent the most time with the android. Had Tres known the term, he would have called her "friend."

But of course, only two people knew why she was happy that he was gone. The first would never tell. The second only had guesses and speculations to go by, but they were quite certain that they were close to the truth.

_The woman gazed into his eyes searchingly. He met her gaze without faltering, his eyes lacking emotion._

"_You've only just started training, but I am assigning you a duty…No—think of it as a promise and not an order." "Positive, Your Eminence." The woman sighed, and he realized he disappointed her in some way, but he could not figure out how._

_He felt her hand on his shoulder and he focused on her again. "What promise would you have me fulfill?" Promise. The word felt strange coming from his lips. _

"_It's true that you're going to be my bodyguard now, but I'd like it if you gave me your word that you would protect someone special to me. Due to my position, I am highly influential, and therefore, a target." Pause. "As is anyone associated with me in any way." _

_Caterina gestured towards a framed photograph of herself and a young girl with gray eyes and brown hair with black highlights. "That is my foster daughter, Maria. Promise me that you will protect her, Tres Iqus…and that you will also be her friend."_

_There a hint of confusion in his eyes as he regarded the girl in the photograph and for a moment he felt something swell up within him as he answered, eyes never leaving the picture. "I promise."_

End Act VIII

F-ko: Hmm, seems kind of rushed there.

E-ko: Hmmm, maybe. Still, at least we have two flashbacks and the story's getting more serious!

F-ko: You're right; now all that's left is the reviews!

E-ko: (dances with F-ko) I hope all that promotion work was worth it!

F-ko: Likewise! (dips E-ko)

Both: Read & Review!


	10. Act IX: Provocations from El Choclo

Act IX

_She was too frightened to cry out for help. It would not help her much, anyway; the only response she had gotten were bruises. _

_The faces of her captors were concealed by masks and hoods, and they were all armed with guns, a few had both guns and blades. Earlier that day, they had stormed the Vatican's educational facilities, and had taken everyone hostage, threatening to shoot them down unless they handed over the Cardinal's fosterling._

_Not wanting any casualties, she had handed herself over and they left quickly, after making some comment to the staff that they should be grateful to her as she just saved their lives. Despite her brave facade, she was frightened._

_The men had now taken to the alleyways now, and she could sense that they were unsettled by something. _

"_How long have we been running?" "It's been forty-five minutes now." "Have they shown signs of slowing down?" "No, sir." Cursing. "Grr, keep running! We'll lose them once we reach the warehouses!" Suddenly, a new voice cried out. "Sir, I just got a look at our pursuer!"_

"_You speak as though there's only one." "That's because it is only one. We can take him down easy. And it's only a kid." "…The Vatican's standards have really dropped haven't they?" The man carrying her stopped and turned around just as a young boy her age appeared at the entrance of the alley._

_Though she knew him to be a trainee, he wore the robes of an AX official. His face carried no expression and his right eye flickered red briefly. Just as the insurgents raised their guns to fire at him, she heard him speak. _

"_Rewriting resident tactical program from Search Mode to Genocide Mode. Commence Combat…" _

_And then, there were gunshots._

Maria bolted upright in her bed, before hiding under the sheets. Why did she have to dream about that, of all things? Why not a less disconcerting dream, where Francesco is in his boxers singing the Lumberjack Song and wearing a fake nose claiming he's Raymond Luxury Yacht?

Maria blinked as she processed what she had just thought and decided to place the blame on her Monty Python DVDs. Just as she was sliding off the bed, she heard the sound of faint music coming on, following by a deep, sensual, masculine voice with a Spanish accent.

"_Con este tango que es burlón y compadrito,  
se ato dos alas la emoción de mi suburbio.  
Con este tango nació el tango y como un grito  
salio del sórdido barrial buscando el cielo.  
Conjuro extraño de un amor hecho cadencia  
que abrió caminos sin más ley que su esperanza,  
mezclas de rabia, de dolor, de fe, de ausencia,  
llorando en la inocencia de un ritmo juguetón…"_

She suddenly felt a strong impulse to kill Leon Garcia de Asturias as she ran around her room searching for a tissue box.

Later that day, in the AX Lounge Room, Monica Argento was watching, rather amusedly, as Father Leon was running from Maria, who looked ready to kill someone, namely Leon. She did not know what he had done to stir her wrath, but from what she was able to discern from their screaming, it had something to do with Father Leon's habit of listening to music and singing it while he showered…

There had only been one occasion where they stopped and that had been when Caterina had entered the room to grab some packets of Kate's herbal teas. After she had left, Maria resumed chasing Leon.

"It's all your fault!" "What are you talking about you crazy woman!? What did I do!!?" "Rrr, die!!!" The Spaniard gave a small "Eep!" "Holy shit…she really means to--! Ahh, someone help me!"

And it was thus that Abel and Tres returned to witness this chaotic scene taking place. Naturally confused, Abel glanced towards William. "Father William…care to fill in on the details?"

"What? Oh yes, the details!" He puffed on his pipe. "Well, I am not quite sure myself, but I believe it might have something to do with Leon's habit of listening to music and singing any songs in it while he showers. Apparently there was something that highly offended Sister Maria, but we're not quite sure what it was yet…" "Ah, I see." Abel lied, not really seeing it at all.

Suddenly, Kate materialized in the room. Without even batting an eye at Leon and Maria, she addressed Abel. "Father Nightroad, Her Eminence would like to see you in her office." "Ah, yes, Sister Kate! Right away!" The hologram faded as Abel made a hasty exit out of the lounge room.

Just then, William stood up and looked at Tres. "If I remember right, today's your routine examination, correct?" "Affirmative, Father William." "We should probably hurry along then. I had used a stun gun on Deus earlier and restrained him with metal bolts so that he wouldn't escape. Hopefully he's still there. I fail to see why he places such distrust in my abilities and intellect, Father Tres." William remarked as they walked to his lab.

Tres did not respond, tactfully omitting any past incidents that were blamed on William's inventions, which had the tendency to backfire. If the Gunslinger was a bit more human or at least more in tune with emotions, he would be marveling at the fact that he's survived the Albion professor's examinations relatively unscathed all these years.

When they arrived, neither was too surprised to see Deus Iqus biting at the metal bonds restraining him.

"Abel, have you ever tried to deny love?" Caterina inquired as she raised the teacup to her lips, gazing at her old friend.

Abel blinked. "Deny? Well, personally speaking, no. I didn't see the point in it, to be frank. It seemed like a waste of energy, because love cannot be controlled." He watched the lumps of sugar fall into the tea cup.

The Duchess of Milan smiled sadly. "Someone close to me—to us—tried it, though I am quite certain she was aware she would lose." The Crusnik sipped his tea, having a feeling he might know the answer. Abel decided to ask anyway, in case he was wrong. "Who is it?"

"My fosterling. For a time, she was able to suppress her feelings, but Karma comes in circles, as you know." Pause. "Her feelings came back, and they struck hard, probably as punishment for her negligence." Caterina sighed, tracing the teacup's rim with her finger.

"Poor Maria. She knows it's bad business, but she can't help it…even though she is fully aware that she will be the one getting burned in the end." Abel drank his tea in one gulp before serving himself again. "Who does Maria love, Caterina?"

"Maria…is in love with a machine."

End Act IX

E-ko: And here's Act IX!

F-ko: Yay, next up is the surprise!

E-ko: I wonder which will she choose…?

F-ko: Well, one of Valar's options isn't even started.

E-ko: Good point.

**Anna' Azure**: Glad you're enjoying it!

Both: Remember to Read & Review!


	11. Act X: Blood Stains and Malfunctions

Act X

"Is this really necessary, Father William? I have things to do!" She yelled as she sparred with Abel, their weapons clashing repeatedly, the sound of metal against metal echoing throughout the room.

Both the Albion Professor and his associate for the day, Brother Andreas from the VBI, frowned at her.

"Of course it is necessary! I've been meaning to take a closer look at your abilities and potential ever since you and Father Tres returned from Greece with a cargo hold of sixty orphans in the _Iron Maiden_!" William yelled back at her. Andreas looked up from his notes, his expression serious.

"After finding so many Crusniks in one place at a time, we've decided to start the research on Hybrids again—particularly where Crusniks are concerned. Father Wordsworth and I are of the opinion that the odds are inaccurate." He paused, letting her drink in the information.

"That is why you and Father Nightroad are fighting now. Neither Father Wordsworth or I have properly gauged your potential." "Actually, we've been rather neglectful on that count." William quipped, puffing his pipe.

Maria sighed and flicked her weapon at Abel. The blade extended into linked segments, somewhat similar to a chain scythe now as it curled around the Crusnik's body. She grabbed the blade and yanked, dragging Abel to the floor roughly. Luckily, it was somewhat padded so Abel was sparred a broken nose.

Using Abel's percentage requests as a basis of measurement, both scientists had requested using twenty percent for starters and work their way from there. There were no notable changes in their appearance, though the whites of Abel's eyes had a pink hue to them and his lips were only a slightly darker color than usual. Maria on the other hand, looked quite normal.

So far, it had been determined that both could materialize weapons from their blood at this level. In Maria's case, she was able to do that as well as wield a wide array of vampiric powers, able to use the more uncommon abilities which vampires gained at twenty percent—as she had demonstrated with her flashy display of controlling elements earlier that morning.

"Alright, you can do forty-percent now." Brother Andreas called out to them from where he and the professor were sitting. Abel turned to them. "Can't we take a break? I'm starving!!!" He whined at them, teary-eyed. "We only just started, Father Nightroad!" "Doesn't matter—I'm hungry!" Seeing no compassion from either man, he faced Maria again and grumbled the activation.

His lips darkened, fangs protruded from his mouth and his skin paled as his hair rose up forming a kind of silvery halo. The whites of his were now blood-red, and large black wings unfolded and spread to their maximum length.

Abel didn't attack, however. "Is something the matter, Maria?" For several minutes she did not answer. After a while, she broke the silence. "Must I transform?"

Before either William or Andreas could answer, Tres walked in. "Father Wordsworth, Lady Caterina requires you. Lord Francesco also requires you, Brother Andreas." The two priests nodded and walked out hurriedly, while Abel made an odd little dance before resuming his normal form and running out after them.

Maria watched them leave for a few seconds and sighed, powering down. The snake blade she had been holding dissolved into liquid, splashing onto her sleeve. She made a face, staring at the white cloth, now stained with blood.

_Just my luck that all my black uniforms were dirty… This is not going to come off easily._ She continued to stare at it distractedly, unaware of the Gunslinger approaching her. When something tapped her shoulder she jumped up in surprise, whirling around to see that it was Tres.

"Tres, d-don't do that!" She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart, trying to steady her nerves. Calmly, he removed her hand from her chest and leaned down, to all appearances listening for her erratic heartbeat—which had become increasingly more so.

"Sister Maria, your heart apparatus is working at twice its capacity." Maria's face flushed red, and she pushed him back, fists clenched. "Of course it is, you idiot! You scared me!"

She fought the temptation to kick him in the groin; the young woman was doubtful that it would affect him or render the satisfaction that such an action brought. Maria was suddenly aware of a slight gentle tug at her arm and looked at it. She saw that a gloved hand was holding hers. Sharp awareness of the identity of the hand's owner made her breath hitch.

"What is it, T-Tres?" "Your uniform requires cleaning, Sister Maria." The Gunslinger explained, completely oblivious of the emotional instability his simple gesture had provoked in her. She fought to steady her nerves as a thousand scenarios in her head, each more out-of-character than the previous one, were trashed.

"Oh…But it's nothing to worry about, Tres. Merely a few bloodstains—" "Sister Maria, the reason you requested to wear the men's uniform in the beginning was due to your reasoning that white stains easily which would be an encumbrance, though a relatively minimal one, in your work. By that rationality, the sooner these bloodstains are removed, the easier it would be to clean them."

Concluding his explanation, he turned a deaf ear to her protests as he led her out of the training room and down the corridor.

She knew she should be focusing on the paperwork today had given her. After all, she could not really afford to slack off in her job. But right now… Caterina felt more like drawing.

In a way, it was a good thing she was doing this now and getting it out of the way; last-minute-shopping was such a waste of energy. Therefore, the sooner she got this out of the way; she wouldn't have to worry about it.

She drew carefully over the paper, envisioning the design in her mind and considering it. The sleeves had been the easiest part. They were more like fingerless gloves, though she had yet to decide what kind of cloth they would be made from of if there would be any pattern.

Next, was the dress. Here, she had two concepts: the first was strapless, the lower half of the dress consisting of two layers of skirts. The first layer was a short-length skirt, same color as the bustier. The second, outer layer was full-length, made of sheer cloth, covering the sides and the back.

The second design was less complex. It was a full-length gown, the top having thin straps that led to a collar that fastened around the neck. For this one, she had drawn an alternate set of sleeves that flared at the end. Both dresses were modeled after the Lolita style.

Caterina closed the drawing pad and put it away. _Well, that takes care of Maria's dresses for that masque. And I suppose I can deal with shoes later…_ The Duchess of Milan thought as she reached for the stack of papers.

Tres was beginning to wonder if Maria was operating properly.

The concept began to nag at him when she objected to having the bloodstains removed from her habit. From long years of nearly-constant interaction with her the Gunslinger knew she avoided wearing the nun's uniform as much as possible; was, in fact, the only other female member of the AX who wore the black habit worn by the priests besides Monica Argento.

Tres was unable to comprehend why some women were so particular about clothing, or the colors they wore in their clothing. At times it would intrigue him, but most occasions the Gunslinger would classify that as a distraction and focus on matters associated to his duty.

But that was not all. If it was, he would not be reconsidering looking into the matter.

Recently, Sister Maria's behavior in his presence could only be classified as "odd." She seemed edgy, and had somehow acquired this skittish and jumpy quality that was usually predictable of girls like Sister Esther and occasionally, Sister Kaya, which seemed to reach a new high on February 14th for reasons unknown to him.

Conditions in her body also changed when he was in the vicinity. First off, Maria seemed more distracted these days, her sharp perceptive mind notoriously absent. Her face acquired a tinge of red that was present 80 percent of the time. And like today, Tres noted that Maria's heart apparatus was working at twice, sometimes thrice, its capacity.

Just as he was about to make up his mind to escort Maria to the infirmary, he was detained from his mission by Father William.

"Ah, Father Tres! I've been looking for you!" Denying Tres the privilege of even a single inquiry, he dragged the android to the lab. "There's something I need to give you and it's in my lab. It concerns a personal mission you must carry out for Her Eminence." Pause. "I could, of course, hand it over after she's briefed you on the situation, but it's much better this way."

And so, the Gunslinger was forced to put his mission on stand-by, courtesy of Father William.

End Act X

F-ko: And here's Chapter ten!

E-ko: You know, for A.I, he's rather dense.

F-ko: That was very mean, E-chan; the poor guy wasn't intended to handle social situations.

E-ko: That's what they all say. For all we know he could be an—(mouth is covered by F-ko)

F-ko: (sweatdrop) Don't listen to her. Anyways, Valar is currently having troubles with the colors and prospective patterns of the dresses for the masque. This is a challenge to any fanartists who happen to be reading this fic. The challenge? Draw Valar's OC in any of those two dresses.

E-ko: She can't draw to save her life, really…

F-ko: Shut up… And now…the reviews!

**Sinn Fein**: I'm glad you liked it. And here's the update. (Psst! Mind letting any of your friends who love Trinity Blood about this fic?)

Both: Remember to Read & Review and you will be satisfied!


	12. About The Characters: Maria

About The Characters: Maria Sforza Langden

_And here's the surprise! Maria's profile! (Actually, it's more of a rough draft of it) It will pretty much cover most of any necessary information, except maybe a detailed description of her Crusnik form, which I have yet to develop. Also, if there are any fanartists who have decided to take up the challenge, they'll probably need this for some sort of reference…_ -Valarspawn/V-ko

Name: Maria Sforza Langden

Age: Unknown—appears 17-19

Gender: Female

Hair: Below waist-length; brown with black highlights

Eyes: gray

Markings: Scar on right eye, stitches on right side of back

Race: Crusnik (1/2 Human, 1/2 Methuselah)

Nationality: Unknown—Currently living in The Vatican

Occupation: AX agent

Codename: One-Winged Angel

Weapons: firearms, snake blade

Information:

An agent of AX, Maria S. Langden is ranked among the best. With a mind taking after Caterina's, she prefers to work alone unless her assignments indicate otherwise, in which she then requests the assistance of Tres Iqus.

Despite being raised and educated in the Vatican throughout most of her life, Maria is fiercely atheist; unusual--and decidedly ironic--for one who works for the Holy See. Other members are surprisingly tolerant in regard to her religious views, or more accurately put, lack thereof.

Unlike Abel and the other three Crusniks, she does not employ nanomachines to use her power.

According to Vatican Research, Crusnik are the product of a Methuselah-Terran union, a rare occurence due to the resentment between both races. It is speculated that 1 in 10 children born from these unions is a Crusnik. Unfortunately, this begets more questions than answers as most half-Methuselah rarely live to adulthood.

Usually a serious person, Maria has formed an undeniably human bond with one of the AI "Killing Doll" units salvaged by Caterina, HC-IIIX (Tres Iqus). One evidence of this bond is that Tres has shown more human responses in Maria's presence than anyone else. They are usually seen together, business or otherwise.

Some suspect Maria has intimate feelings towards Tres, which are currently suppressed. This is mostly because of Tres status' as a cyborg (though he might as well be called an android), and of unknown circumstances in his life that have caused his emotions to be in a state of near-constant absentia.

For a time, Maria succeeded in "forgetting" her feelings for Tres. But she was probably aware that it was only one battle and an empty victory; for no one has ever battled Love and won.

(Langden is a false alias)

_This was intended so that readers know a bit more about the characters in the story. It's kind of like when manga artists put profile pages of their characters in the manga for bonus information. (looks at her fic) So...proud...! I shall strive and give it my all! Authors, Be Ambitious! (self-cheers)_ -Valarspawn/V-ko


	13. Act XI: Your First Social Mission

Act XI

He had been sitting at his desk for thirty minutes now, eyes fixed on the DVD case. And whatever traces of humanity, if any, that were left in him, were doubting the Cardinal's frame of mind.

It was safe to say that Tres was "frozen", not unlike a computer. The cause was understandable. Then again, perhaps not.

For once, the Gunslinger had been given a mission that was in opposition with his purpose. It required something in which he was decidedly, horrendously lacking: adaptation to social circumstances.

Her Eminence had not divulged the finer details of his mission, only that the contents of the case were relevant to it. If the android had been human, he would have felt embarrassment, but he did not.

For once during the years of service under Her Eminence, Tres was dumbfounded. He analyzed the title of the DVD case, struggling to read it out loud because of the severe glitch of disbelief.

"_Dancing With The Stars: An Instructional Video_."

Caterina was smiling.

It did not bother Maria to see her smile; on the contrary, she thought the Duchess of Milan needed to smile more and frown less.

The smile in question however, was shifty in character. Maria did not trust it for a second.

The Cardinal was up to something, and she was undecided whether wanted to look into it or not. After a mental debate, Maria decided not to meddle in Caterina's affairs. After all, it was highly unlikely that she had anything to do with them.

_You can't assume that! For all you know, her conspiracies have EVERYTHING to do with you!_ A little voice in her head persisted.

Maria pushed that thought to the back of her mind and refocused on reading her new _Jigoku Sensei Nube_ manga, forcing herself to ignore the occasional bouts of tittering that seized the Duchess of Milan.

Tres could not recall an occasion when he underwent so many glitches in a day. There must be something faulty with his systems. A slight tinge of pink colored his cheeks as he watched Deus Iqus and Almace Straif mock him.

Almace, being an animal, made odd, hacking sounds deep in his throat, as though he was regurgitating a hairball. Deus, for his part, was clutching his stomach, almost breathless from laughter.

Once again, he suffered another glitch. He felt an alien compulsion to maim Deus and give his cat an undesirable punishment. But on the other hand, he tried to recall the last time Deus had laughed this much. As his mind slowly wandered off, Deus stopped laughing and sat up, dusting his shirt.

"I guess I'd have the same reaction if His Eminence gave me that kind of mission—which I highly doubt will occur." At this he rolled his eyes sarcastically. "However, being the loving brother that I, Deus Iqus, am, I will assist you with your mission." With that, Deus flashed a smile and struck a pose.

Tres' right eye twitched slightly at Deus' uncharacteristically human behavior. Then again, the Professor had mentioned that Deus was more attuned to his humanity than Tres and the other Killing Dolls.

"That is not necessary, Deus. I can learn and master the disk's contents by viewing them; that was how Prof. Garibaldi made our programming."

"I know that, but it is also said that "practice makes perfect", and I am not referring to the dancing; that is the last thing you'd have any difficulties with as you are naturally a perfectionist." "…Cannot find any definition for this term."

Sigh. "Affirmative; I thought you might say that." Deus approached him. "The point I am trying to get across to your thick skull is this: if you practice these dances with me as a partner, you might feel less uncomfortable in the new circumstances of this mission, which, I remind, you know nothing of and how to properly react to said circumstances."

The Gunslinger's right eye twitched again, in silent acknowledgement. It was a stinging reminder, but it was true. And when he considered Deus' words, the reasoning was sound and the Gunslinger had nothing to lose by accepting his help. Giving Tres little choice but to accept his brother's willing assistance.

"…Positive." Deus grinned widely, slapping his back.

"Knew you'd see it my way."

She barely felt the pricking of the surgical needle, followed by the thin metal threads going through her skin. The right side of her back felt stiff, she wondered if it could be moved at all.

"Does it bother much, Sister Maria?" Father William inquired as he focused on the stitches. It was delicate work, this. He first had to remove the old stitches and replace them with these. Maria's accident had rendered the old ones useless.

"Not at all, though my right side feels so stiff…" "It must be a sort of aftershock. Still, you ought to be more careful. Even today, I marvel at the fact that I was able to repair your injuries and save your left wing! And this is the thanks—"

"Father Wordsworth, please focus on the stitches before you start ranting." "Oh, right." He continued to work in silence.

After a few more minutes, he closed up the stitches and handed her a roll of bandages. "Wrap it up with this and try not to move too much…or crash into anything." Mutely, she accepted the roll of bandages and did as he asked before putting her shirt and overcoat on again and leaving the lab.

As she wandered near the gates of the Vatican, she spotted Tres and Deus approaching them from outside. Before she could attempt to escape, however, the two androids had flashed their IDs and were already walking towards her.

"Status report, Sister Maria." It was the first thing to leave his lips once they approached her. Maria was only half-listening however, momentarily entranced by the movement of his lips.

Puzzled by the lack of a response, the Gunslinger tried again. "Status report, Sister Maria." She blinked, signifying she heard him. "Fine…mostly. Why do you ask?"

"Your movements are irregular and you appear to favor your right." "Oh…I just had an accident, nothing too bad." Tres was silent, processing the information. As Deus silently stole away from them he reached into his left pocket and pulled out a box, handing it to her.

Silently, Maria accepted it, surprise etched into her features. "…Pocky?"

He succeeded hiding his frustration as another glitch made itself known. "You seem to like them."

She smiled at him a little, red tinting her cheeks. "Thank you, Tres."

End Act XI

E-ko: And so ends Act XI with a slight swirl of mushiness!

F-ko: Valar's been celebrating all morning…

E-ko: One of her favorite authors reviewed! Of course she's happy! (drinks champagne)

F-ko: Still we should get her away from the karaoke machine…

**Fallacy**: Gah, I already answered your review in DeviantART. Still I'm so happy that you reviewed! I hope that becomes a repeat experience! (worships)

**Sinn Fein**: I'm glad you liked it! And the more people that read this, the better! (brandishes memory stick)

Both: Read & Review!


	14. Act XII: The Florentine Professor

Act XII

"Sir…do you think I will be welcome there?"

Her companion, a middle-aged man with long brown hair and mismatched eyes, turned to her, indignant. "Of course you will, Edri! Those people will provide for you, and they will think of you as family. You will be more than welcome there." Pause. "Besides little one, there will be family, and the Cardinal will have need of you."

"I see. But what about you, Professor? I was under the impression you were decommissioned. Is it possible I may have been misled?" The girl's voice had acquired an automated undertone, and her right eye appeared to glow red.

At this, the man chuckled, banging his fist on the armrest a few times, finding her remark amusing.

"_Decommissioned_…Is that what they call retirement these days, Edryana?"

There was a resounding blast as the target was completely decimated.

Tres could not help but feel a rush of exhilaration as he lowered the weapon. These would be the only circumstances, as far as he was concerned, where he would not worry over the "glitches." This was his purpose, what he, Tres Iqus, was made for.

Pulling the safety on, he balanced the large gun on his neck and shoulders, pressing his skin against the cool metal, as he gazed up at the ceiling.

_His pupil glowed red as he scanned the sky for any heat signals, and quickly found his target, closing on the Tristan as it was descending. From there, it was but the work of a moment to shoot it down._

_The first shot bounced off the missile's metal hull but the following shots hit the target dead center, and it went up in an explosion of blue flame._

"_Clear." _

Glancing to the front of him, the Gunslinger saw that the next target was ready. In one fluid motion, he had pulled down the safety, lifted the gun from his shoulder and shot at the target.

"_The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born first must destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas."_

Maria repeated the quote silently in her mind, half-aware of the gunshots in the background. _These lines… I'm certain I've heard them before. But where?_ She raised her head from the book she was reading, thinking hard.

Suddenly, an image formed in her mind: a handsome young man with long red hair and blue eyes, wearing a white uniform with gold—red?—borders. His person exuded an air of confidence and sensuality. The exemplary playboy.

_An elevator ascending. The gates were comprised of metal bars, gothic style. There would be three occupants, appearing one after the other as the elevator ascended one floor. All the time, there would be an omnipresent masculine voice, talking._

"_If the egg's shell does not break, the chick will die without being born. We are the chick; the world is our egg. If the world's shell does not break, we will die without being born. Smash the world's shell!"_

Yes…That must be it; there is a difference of length between the lines but the statements are nearly identical. Maria bookmarked the page and closed the book, studying the title. _I guess someone in Studio Be-papas must have read Demian…_

She looked down to the training arena, where Tres was currently using the Gun Range. Sometimes, the young woman would come here to read, and other times, to watch the beauty that came from firearms-based combat come alive.

Right now, Tres was in Genocide Mode, shooting multiple targets all at once. His method of shooting reminded Maria of the fictional _gun kata_ discipline from _Equilibrium_, on which his gun assault was partially based on.

In most occasions, that she was aware of, most of the Gunslinger's body remained in a state of inertia, with the exception of his arms. Should an attack from behind occur however, he _would_ move, and retaliate thus.

But that did not interest her at all. No, what interested Maria were the graceful, fluid movements that sprang from nothing whenever Tres was in his element. They were beautiful, nothing like the stiff, awkward, mechanical gestures she saw so often. No, these movements were…_human_.

Maria bit her lip and stood up. _I've stayed here too long._

She often wondered why he carried the cane.

He was not blind, nor did he have problems walking and he was not old enough to require one. The man was actually in a very good state of health. Yet he still insisted on using one, for reasons she would probably never comprehend.

Still, she had to be blind not to notice how many women, and on some occasions, men, eyed him ever since they boarded the train.

The Professor was still an attractive man, though once people saw the clothes he wore on his person they were much put off. Edryana had lost track of how many times she heard "Shame that he is a priest. And he looked so sexy, too."

The word's meaning eluded her, but it seemed to have a positive undertone…whatever it was.

The Professor's voice shook Edryana from her thoughts. "Are you going to stand there all day, Edri? Time waits for no man!" He tapped his cane in a friendly, impatient manner at her. Nodding, she descended the steps and walked briskly towards him.

Caterina swallowed the tea, deep in thought. Too quiet. Things have been too quiet recently. She wished she could attribute it to paranoia, but the Duchess of Milan knew better.

"You too?" Francesco inquired softly as he refilled his teacup, his gold-tinted, ash-colored eyes meeting hers.

"Unfortunately." Pause. "It could be just paranoia on our part, but…"

"We know better. We _ought_ to know better."

These moments between them were rare. There had rarely been any affection between Francesco and Caterina; at best, they treated each other with a cold, formal indifference and their bouts of sibling rivalry took place in the meeting chambers of the Pope.

Yet, there would be occasions when one of them called truce and they would spend time together, though these moments did not seem applicable to everyday life. To Caterina, they were a glimpse into an alternate reality, where she and Francesco were not bickering all the time.

"Contra Mundi and the Rosenkreuz Orden. They have been too well-behaved. I don't like it."

"Enlighten me." Francesco leaned back against his chair, sipping the tea.

"I might be wrong, but I am quite certain they do not know about Maria yet." She refilled her cup.

"But you think they will." "Yes; eventually, the rumors will start to spread, and most likely spark Contra Mundi's interest once they reach the Orden." Pause. "After that, they will attempt to capture her."

The Duke of Medici stirred his tea absentmindedly. "On the assumption that Maria has been captured, sister, what do you suppose will be their intentions for her?"

Caterina drank more tea, pondering his question. "It is hard to say. I do have some ideas, however." Pause. "They might intend to make clones from her DNA to make an army of Crusniks. If this is successful, they might disperse the Crusniks around the world. Naturally, armies and weapons are no match against this sort of power."

"Another idea would be to turn her into a kind of scapegoat. Manipulate her into doing something like assassinating the Pope or some other powerful political figure, thus instigating an international incident and harming diplomatic relations with other nations."

The Duchess of Milan finished the tea in her cup and refilled it again. "And finally…" She added cream and sugar, stirring it thoroughly before taking a sip. Francesco made an impatient gesture.

"He might only want her captured for no other reason than to fulfill his sexual needs."

Francesco made a face at this. "Wouldn't someone like Contra Mundi be above those things, Caterina?"

She sighed. "In the end, boys will be boys, brother."

At that moment, an acolyte entered the room.

"Your Eminences, there is a man and a girl outside the gates claiming to have business here. The man claims to have worked here, and is dressed in the AX uniform but he doesn't have an ID."

"The man…did he give a name?"

The acolyte nodded.

"He gave his name as Prof. Gepetto Garibaldi."

End Act XII

F-ko: Ooh, a cliffhanger!  
E-ko: The story's getting much more serious now!  
F-ko: And there are new characters too!  
E-ko: Cookies for those who can guess the hidden scenes!  
F-ko: They'll probably know...

**Sinn Fein**: And here's your update!

Both: Remember, Reviews are healthy! So Review!


	15. Act XIII: Incident with Pocky

Act XIII

"This dance…"

"Yes?"

"Too simple."

"I was thinking the same. I mean, left foot forward, step back, right foot back, repeat…" The first voice interrupted the latter.

"What comes next?" There was a pause, as the owner of the second voice looked at the list.

"It says…_Paso Doble_." "Then let us work on that one, Deus."

"Ah, Gepetto, it's been too long!" William exclaimed as he hugged the newcomer. Gepetto hugged back, just as tightly. "Likewise, William, likewise."

Caterina made a loud _ahem_, seizing their attention. "Before the two of you reacquaint yourselves, why don't you sit down and tell us the purpose of your visit, Prof. Garibaldi?" The Florentine sat down on one of the chairs facing the desk.

"Ah, yes, my visit. Well, I've wanted to visit the old stomping grounds for a while now, see how my boys are doing…and I've brought along a new member!" Gepetto gestured towards the young girl who had been sitting quietly on the couch by the wall.

The moment attention was called to her, the girl rose from the couch and walked to the desk. Caterina studied her, eyes sweeping the girl's form from head to toe. She was around the same height as Esther and Kaya, appearing to be at least fifteen years old.

Her long hair was brown, with a slight shade of auburn while her eyes were a honey-tinted hazel brown. Her clothes appeared to be based on the uniform worn by the Sisters at the Vatican, yet the design had been altered somewhat.

The girl, in turn regarded the Duchess of Milan with a blank stare, as though she appeared to see through the blonde woman though her eyes remained fixed on Caterina's. Then it dawned on her.

It was not the first time someone had stared at her like that.

He had been watching her steadily devour the pocky for twenty minutes now.

Maria and Tres were in one of the Vatican's various labyrinths, having no actual purpose to go there. Maria was leaning against a tree planted in one of the squared spaces of the maze, currently absorbed in two activities: reading _Death Note_ and consuming the chocolate-covered pocky stick that she held with her mouth.

Tres had come along, though he did have any reason or cause to follow her. He just followed. Maria had not initiated conversation since they reached this squared dead-end and the Gunslinger did not attempt it, either. Tres was not socially adept, anyway.

The young woman had brought several new manga and two new copies of _Shonen_ and _Shoujo Jump_. Along with that, several boxes of pocky. He would watch her consume the pocky, taking her time as she read the manga.

Somewhere along the line though, his eyes had zoned in on the pocky stick and the lips holding it.

For a while, he could only stare, transfixed, as he scanned every detail; from the occasional twitch and closing of her mouth as Maria bit down on the pocky stick before pinning it between her teeth again, holding it in an almost loose manner.

His lips twitched slightly and a strange sensation swelled up within him as he carefully leaned down.

Maria was almost half-asleep, eyes half-closed as she read the manga. She lowered it a bit, taking a momentary break.

_So sleepy…Hm, there seems to be more shade now…_ She thought dismissively as she began to apply pressure onto the pocky.

_**SNAP!**_

The sound was not particularly loud; but it was close enough to restore her to full wakefulness. For several seconds, Maria's eyes met Tres', their faces uncomfortably close.

The color of her cheeks bloomed into a rose-tinted red as she regained her voice. The Gunslinger remained as he was, slowly chewing on his half of the pocky stick.

"W…What was that all about, Tres!? Do you want to give me a heart attack or something!? I-I mean, if you wanted pocky you could have just asked!!!" He continued to look at her, making her blush grow redder as he had not pulled his face away from hers.

"I was curious. You seem to enjoy this food item as much as Father Nightroad enjoys Earl Grey tea with thirteen lumps of sugar." Pause. With that, Tres pulled away from Maria and went to sit on the bench in the far side, still chewing on the half of the pocky stick he had stolen from her.

_Of all the children she had seen up to now, he had been the most serious-looking one._

_He looked like any other boy about to begin puberty, his shoulders somewhat broad with a slender, slightly delicate, but lithe frame. If not for the black clerical uniform, she might have seen the hint of muscles in his arms and legs. _

_The boy's face was expressionless, eyes completely devoid of emotion. His movements and gestures seemed stiff, lacking a certain grace and fluidity of motion. _

"_Eyes are windows to the soul." _

_The expression did not seem to apply to this boy, not in the normal sense, at least. And yet, she could perceive the brief flickers of emotions in his eyes, though they seemed dormant right now._

_Their eyes met, and his right eye glowed red briefly as he spoke._

"_Designation: HC-IIIX. Cardinal Caterina Sforza, Duchess of Milan has now been classified as "Ally."_

"The AX welcomes you, Sister Edryana. I look forward to seeing your work in the future." Edryana bowed her head slightly. "Aren't you supposed to assign me a codename?" She inquired softly.

"Actually, in most occasions the members themselves choose their codenames. In some cases we give them codenames associated with their power. Although—" She was interrupted by William.

"In Sister Kate's exception, we named her after an old heavy metal rock group!" "William…" Kate's translucent form glared at him warningly.

Edryana blinked. "In that case, Lady Caterina, put my codename down as Zantetsuken."

Caterina nodded towards Sister Kate, who vanished in turn. "Would you like for someone to show you around?" Pause. "Negative. I'll find my way around, Lady Caterina. Rewriting resident tactical program to Search Mode." That said, she turned and left the office.

In the privacy of his shower, he continued to replay the incident in his mind.

He was uncertain as to the _why_ of it, but the Gunslinger had enjoyed—it was "teasing", right? Yes, that was the word—teasing Maria like that. Her reaction made the memory more appealing…though in all honesty, he had suffered another glitch when it happened. They were, in truth, beyond his power; therefore, he was unable to stop them.

The Gunslinger could turn a blind eye to the glitches however, and usually did. This time, though, Tres found he did not want to. He _liked_ that memory, which confused the android.

The Gunslinger was still lost on one aspect of the incident: what prompted him to focus his vision on her lips like that? True, it was the closest thing he had to a habit; Tres had the tendency to focus on the movement of people's lips when they spoke. He did it with almost everyone except Deus; part of him felt reading the movements of Deus' lips was a waste of time.

Only, that time Maria was not speaking; she had been holding a pocky stick in her mouth and chewing on it. And she had been half-asleep.

_These are thoughts for another day._

Tres leaned against the wall, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind.

End Act XIII

E-ko: And thus ends Act XIII! ...Kinda short, isn't it?  
F-ko: True...but it only means we have more to look forward to!  
E-ko: What happens next I wonder?  
F-ko: Well, V-ko would kill us if we spoil it.  
E-ko: I thought she said it would be Cain who did that.  
F-ko: She changed her mind; apparently Cain-san is too preoccupied keeping himself together...  
E-ko: LOLZ

Sinn Fein: Yes, cliffies are evil, aren't they? Not that it stops us from using them, though.

Both: READ & REVIEW or Cain's bodyparts will get you!


	16. Act XIV: From Istavan with Vengeance I

Act XIV

She had been staring at her reflection in the mirror for what seemed an eternity, but in reality was ten, perhaps fifteen minutes. Then again, it was understandable; Maria rarely had an occasion to wear a dress (nor did she care to) in her life.

Of course, one could count any parties or galas held amongst the Italian nobility, and perhaps any seasonal gatherings. But the point of the matter remained the same: Maria was not accustomed to seeing herself in a dress that was not the white, blue-bordered habit of the nuns in Rome.

It was a beautiful piece with influences derived from the Lolita style, which was her favorite. The dress was strapless, with two layers of skirts. The inner skirt was short-length, ending some inches below her thighs. The second layer, full-length, covered the sides and rear, and was made of sheer, gauzy material that was a touch lighter than the shade of the dress itself, which was crimson.

The gloves were fingerless and made from a dark, sheer, mesh-like cloth, patterned with thorny vines and roses. Her thigh-length stockings were from the same material and were accentuated by the dark, blood-colored, high-heeled Mary-Janes.

Her hair was now held up in a kind of messy bun with some braids hanging from it, not unlike Lulu from _Final Fantasy X_. Possibly out of added safety insurance, Caterina stuck an ornate bodkin, which easily passed off as a metal rod, onto it.

"Try not to stay up here for the duration of the party, alright?" Caterina told her as she swept out of the room in her ivory gown.

Sighing, Maria turned and walked towards the door.

Tres could not recall a time when he felt so out of place.

He could not see why he should feel that way; it wasn't the first time he attended these affairs. The Gunslinger was close to invisible in this background. For one, the party was a masque, so the costume gave him an advantage. Also, Tres usually acted the part of an undercover bodyguard.

This time was different.

This time, Tres had a _mission_, and it required him to actually mingle with the partygoers. Normally, the Gunslinger would never object or chafe at one of Her Eminence's orders.

Unfortunately, these orders were in complete opposition with what he was programmed to do.

Before the Gunslinger could attempt to fathom Caterina's intentions, what happened next made him forget.

Maria descended down the stairs, keeping a calm and detached facade as all eyes fell on her person. She did not even flinch as some of those gazes became lustful and others hostile. Standing near the edge of the ballroom, she suddenly felt alone.

For the first few minutes, time stood still. It stopped as she began to walk around aimlessly before she was stopped by a group of girls. A girl in a peach-colored gown removed her golden sparkly mask as she addressed Maria.

"I see you're showing your face again, Maria. Oh wait, you're wearing a mask so that we won't have to look at it." Maria silently counted to ten, trying not to imagine herself strangling her. Once _again, I am reminded of why I hate these parties…_

"And I see you're still a bitch, Caprice." Pause. "Don't take it the wrong way; if you stopped being a bitch the universe would turn on its head." Her words hit a nerve, and Maria smirked inwardly as Caprice's face flushed beet red, ruining her looks, something Maria noted happily.

Another girl glared at her. "That mouth of yours will get you in trouble someday, you know." The response was not short in coming. "Ah, in that case, I shall work harder on my rudeness…"trouble" seems vastly more preferable to you."

She flashed them an arrogant smile as her words struck them like daggers. Having had enough, Caprice raised a fine manicured hand and swung it towards her face. "That's enough you arrogant little—!"

Calmly, she raised her hand to block the blow. Only it never came.

Maria blinked when she saw that a masked young man wearing a costume similar to what the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera wore had partially stepped in between them, his hardened eyes looking down at Caprice. "That will be enough, miss."

Caprice looked somewhat frightened and nodded. Once he released her wrist however, the look of fear vanished and she was now checking him out.

"Say, I don't believe I've seen you before. Would you join me for a dance? Her hand rested on his chest lightly, tracing imaginary circles on it. He looked down at her. "…Positive." Smiling, she held out her hand for him to accept it and lead her to the dance floor. After ten minutes of waiting, Caprice looked up.

Her "dance partner" had accepted the invitation; she just wasn't the girl he was dancing with.

"I…I had no idea you could dance, Tres." "It was requirement for a mission, Sister Maria." "Oh." Maria's heart was practically doing crazy acrobatics in her chest as they danced, and she wanted to pinch herself to make sure it wasn't a dream. "N…Nice costume, Tres." The young woman remarked, making an attempt to establish conversation.

For a moment, he did not respond. When he did, the Gunslinger seemed to have trouble speaking.

"…Not…Not to say that you look bad in…in the men's uniform, but…the dress looks very…" He paused, as if searching for a suitable word. "…Appealing on you, Sister Maria…" With that said, his eyes looked away from hers. Suddenly, he felt uncomfortable making eye contact with Maria.

For her part, Maria was confused. Did _he…Did Tres just give me a compliment?_ She blushed slightly, wondering what could have made him say that. Studying his expression, Maria guessed that the Gunslinger was just as dumbfounded as she was, perhaps more.

Eventually, time appeared to stand still and everything else faded away, leaving only them and the music.

Maria could not recall when, but at some point she had spaced out while they danced, because Tres was shaking her shoulders gently, telling her something. Shaking her head a little, she lifted her gaze to his. "Wha…? Could you run that by me again?"

"The dance number is finished, Sister Maria. Will you rest or shall we continue?"

Ok, now Maria was really confused. She decided it was better to be ignorant and smiled a little. "No, it's fine Tres. I feel like getting some fresh air." Before he could respond, she walked out.

_She's been out too long just to take some fresh air._ The Gunslinger thought as he walked through the garden. At first he had not bothered, knowing Maria preferred to be alone than to be with other people in the party. After thirty minutes, however, Tres went outside.

He had been searching for roughly ten minutes when he spotted a white envelope tied to a tree…with a strip of gauzy material that could have only come from Maria's skirt. At the foot of the tree was a small capsule-shaped object with a long metal tip.

Tres picked it up and analyzed the object; a syringe. He crushed the syringe in his hand and sniffed at the interior pieces of glass.

It smelled of chemicals used to induce sleep and numb the body's nerves and muscles.

Tranquilizer.

For once, Tres did something he had picked up from others at the Vatican, but never did it himself.

"Damnit."

End Act XIV

F-ko: Another update!  
E-ko: The drama! Where has the princess gone? What will the noble prince do?  
F-ko: E-ko, we're not doing Utena, remember?  
E-ko: Sorry. I get relapses...  
Both: READ & REVIEW!


	17. Act XV: From Istavan with Vengeance II

Act XV

Something had happened that much was obvious.

_But how serious was it to make Tres rush out the way he did, without explanation?_

Abel glanced at the letter with the strip of cloth that the android had thrust into his hands along with the borrowed shoulder-cloak and mask that were part of his costume. Clearly, that is an answer we'll find out soon… He thought, studying the letter.

The letter had been addressed as "Former Lt. Commander Iqus", though Tres had neglected to open the letter. The sender did not have intentions of being found out, or he/she would not have bothered to go through the trouble of cutting out letters from newspapers and pasting them on the parchment. Sighing, the Crusnik opened the letter.

"_It's been some time, hasn't it, Iqus?_

_If you're reading this, you've probably noticed that your cute girlfriend's been absent for quite some time. That's right; I've abducted her and holding her hostage. On a side note, she's quite a hot piece of flesh. Makes a man want to eat her, no?_

_If you care for this girl at all, you'll come and save her. I know that because when I finally tracked you down, you were nearly always together. I'll even be kind enough to give you the address of the hideout._

_-From Istavan with Vengeance"_

With shaking fingers, Abel turned on his communicator. "Crusnik to Iron Maiden." A few seconds later, he heard the predictable sound of static that preceded Kate's voice. "Iron Maiden reporting. Is there something you require?"

The Crusnik paused to gather himself before continuing. "Yes. I would like to know if there were any missions where Gunslinger was involved in undercover reconnaissance." Pause; some static. "Results found. Are you looking for anything in particular, Crusnik? I will require more information."

"Are there any cases where he posed as a Liutenant Commander?" There was a longer pause. Abel hoped—no, prayed—that he was wrong in his assumption.

"Search results confirmed. One match has been found." Pause. "Would you like to hear what it is?" Sigh. "That will be all, Iron Maiden. Crusnik out."

It was dark.

A strong musty smell prevailed over everything, along with an incredible sense of abandon.

She could not see; either her eyes had been gouged out and her eyelids sewed shut or she was wearing a blindfold.

Her body felt like lead. It also felt numb. Someone had used a tranquilizer on her, and had also gone through the trouble of chaining her ankles and wrists as well as tying her up.

_Ugh…I feel so sleepy and disoriented. I don't think I should use my powers; I don't think I can use them. Even if I could, I…I think that might not be a good idea._ Maria thought to herself.

_Should I try to move? She wondered, knowing that it was a futile effort. I should be asking myself, "Can I even move at all?" _At that moment, her thoughts were halted by the creaking of the door, followed by heavy footsteps.

Her captor, or one of his accomplices if any. Tall, with a heavy frame. Maria waited on bated breath as the man walked over to her. She felt his hands reach behind her head and remove the blindfold. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she found herself looking at her captor.

Tres had not brought his guns. They were still in the room that he and Abel were given for their stay in the city. Of course, that did not mean he was unarmed. Far from it. While his trademark weapons were firearms, the Gunslinger had also been trained in the use of blades, in the occasion he did not have any firearms on his person.

Currently he was armed with a nagamaki, stiletto, scramasax and tanto. All were concealed in the lining of his coat and were easily accessible at need. And of course, if the Gunslinger had no other choice, there was hand-to-hand combat.

As the android ran through the city streets, Tres couldn't help but wonder about the identity and motives of Maria's captor. For a brief moment, the Gunslinger thought of the Rosen Kreuz Orden.

"Negative. The Orden does not do abductions." He muttered to himself. And it was true; any plans the RCO made had a tendency to affect the world on a mass-scale. An abduction would not cause much panic unless certain conditions were met.

Nevertheless, Tres ran faster.

"And he ran off, just like that?"

"That's right."

"Without even opening the letter?"

"Correct."

"Without informing us of the situation?"

"Exactly."

Hugue blinked, processing all this and wondering if he misheard. Once concluding he had not, he spoke. "That's…out of character for Gunslinger."

"It is, isn't it?" Pause. "Then again, perhaps it is not." Caterina said quietly. Vaclav looked at her questioningly. "What are you suggesting, Lady Caterina?"

"It could also be a conditioned reflex. When Tres was training to become a priest and AX member, he was also Maria's bodyguard and companion. I distinctly recall numerous occasions when his response to this type of situation had an impulsive nature to it; he merely rushed out after the culprits and, I quote, "chased them down like a bloodhound pursues his master's prey."

"What are Your Eminence's orders?" Inquired Esther. Caterina did not answer for several minutes, thinking hard. After 10 minutes, she broke the silence.

"One operative will be sent out after him; the rest of us must act as though nothing has happened. Sister Kate, transmit that address to him through his communicator." "Affirmative, Lady Caterina." Sister Kate's hologram did not fade away. "Which operative will you send out?"

Before the Duchess of Milan could respond, a voice cut her off. "Send me, Your Eminence."

Caterina glanced towards her newest member, currently dressed in a suit similar to Utena's "Prince Suit" in the _Shoujo Kakumei Utena_ manga, with the exception that it was black with a red cloak.

"I can track down HC-IIIX much faster than the _Iron Maiden II_'s radar. Also, he left his guns here." She held up a bag that obviously contained Tres' guns and a few cartridge boxes.

"…Why not? We have nothing to lose."

The first word that came to mind was "shark."

Then again, that's the first thing most people would think when they see those teeth. Maria thought as she tried to lean as far back as possible.

The man before her had dark scraggly hair, with an equally scraggly beard. He was dressed in dark jeans, white shirt, and a green camouflage-print jacket. On his head was a black beret that bore the legend "ICMPD".

But the most striking feature he possessed were his teeth, sharp and pointy like a shark's. The way he regarded her did not help much.

"Hmm…Be honest with me. Would forcing him to watch helplessly as I break you be a fitting revenge?"

"R…Revenge?"

"Yes, revenge. It's a long story, but I mean to get back at him for all he did!" He leered at her. "You will do perfectly." Pause. "While we're waiting for your white knight to show up…How about having some fun?" His hand wandered towards her chest.

"N-no…Don't touch me!" She tried to squirm away from him. He grabbed one breast roughly, squeezing it hard. "It's futile, bitch! That tranquilizer won't wear off for a good while now and besides, you're chained and tied up!" Maria bit back as scream as he rendered similar treatment to her left nipple.

The man pulled her up roughly, clearly intent on pulling up her skirt. Just when his fingers were millimeters away from the cloth, a cold, mechanical voice pierced the silence.

"Proceed with that course of action ex-Col. Radcon, and you will be terminated slowly."

End Act XV

E-ko: And the villain is revealed!  
F-ko: What will happen next, I wonder?  
E-ko: Well, there's probably no Genocide Mode...  
F-ko: Nani!? But that part's so cool!  
E-ko: Of course, I might be wrong...

**Sinn Fein**: Here's the update! Darn, I wanted to finish this part up with Act XV. Oh well...

Both: Don't forget to review!  
E-ko: We'll send Cain's body parts after you if you don't! (waves Cain's stolen arm)  
Cain: So that's where my arm went!  
Both: Run away! (flee the wrath of Cain)


	18. Act XVI: From Istavan with Vengeance III

**Definition…**

**Nagamaki**: (literally "long wrapping") Also known as Nagamaki-naoshi; a popular Japanese weapon between the 12th and 14th centuries. Developed during mid-Muromachi Period.

**Stiletto**: Long, narrow-bladed dagger. Designed primarily as a stabbing weapon rather than cutting as its long narrow shape allows for deep penetration.

**Scramasax**: European bladed weapon resembling butcher knife or machete. Its blade is gently curving, usually tapering to a point, at times sporting a false edge on the back up to a third of the whole length.

**Ninjato**: A Japanese sword used by ninja that was similar to the katana, though it tended to be straighter and not generally made of a pattern of welded metal.

**Pilum**: Heavy javelin used by the Romans in ancient times. It was generally about two meters long overall, consisting of an iron shank about 7 mm in diameter and 60 cm long with pyramidal head.

Act XVI

If he had some nuance of humanity in his mind, Tres would have been able to identify this glitch for what it was: rage.

But rage was new to him, and he lacked what was needed to identify it as thus, therefore he could not. In any case, he felt a strong compulsion to pull out any of his concealed weapons and run Radcon through with said weapon.

The Gunslinger cursed again, this time at himself for not having a Kris on hand. Angrily, he pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind and concentrated on the former police officer. Radcon gave him an infuriating smile.

"You've shown up. Why don't we get down to business like proper gentlemen?" The Gunslinger reached for the right side of his coat, casually fiddling with one of the buttons, his eyes locked with Radcon's.

"Release Sister Maria and surrender, Radcon; and you might survive with an imprisonment sentence." The Gunslinger succeeded in concealing his surprise at his own words.

_I…I was supposed to say "and you shall be terminated even if these conditions are met."_

Before now, the android could not recall an occasion where he _lied_—and so blatantly—to the enemy. He assumed it had something to do with witnessing Radcon sexually assaulting Maria.

_How dare he…How dare he touch my Maria like that!? Wait…since when is she "my" Maria to begin with?_

Now, Tres was _really_ confused. Fortunately, he succeeded in regaining his focus just in time to hear Radcon's answer.

"If I let her go, I get off with a light prison sentence." Pause. "What if I refuse?"

"Then you have given me no other alternative." Calmly, Tres pulled out the Nagamaki from within the lining of his coat.

"Ex-Col. Radcon of Istavan City Military Police Department, you are hereby subject to termination."

Finding her brother did not pose much of a challenge for Edryana Iqus. His present location was an abandoned weapon shop in the city square below her. Her right eye glowed red as she scanned the building.

When the scan was complete, she was frowning. Edryana had located both Tres and Maria, which was good. However, there had been other heat signatures in the building…heading towards them.

"Like the sweet little sister that I am, I shall save my brother the trouble of dealing with the minimal threats, even if he is perfectly capable of dealing with them on their own."

Her eye glowed red as she unsheathed her Ninjato and ran towards the shop.

There was a clash of metal hitting metal as the blade of the Nagamaki met the armguard.

"Is there anything freaks like you cannot do?" Tres' visage remained unresponsive as his free hand came up, aiming for Radcon's jaw.

Unfortunately for Radcon, it was also the same side where the android's metal-plated boot had met his jaw back in Istavan as the church of St. Matthias burned.

Despite her situation, Maria felt a stab of pity for the man. Earlier she had noticed that one side of his jaw seemed a little off. Now that Tres had punched him on that side again, she realized it was because Tres had employed his own physical strength against this man at some point in the past.

Maria herself had never been on the receiving end of a physical blow from Tres Iqus; for one, he rarely used hand-to-hand combat, and it was also in direct opposition to his duties to protect her. Still, she did not find it hard to imagine that a punch or kick from the Gunslinger would be rather painful.

Radcon spit at the ground, two of his teeth and some blood falling from his mouth. "Bastard…You will pay double for doing that again!" Radcon grabbed one of the lances on a rack, and charged at him. Her eyes widened in recognition and fear.

_That…That's a Pilum! A javelin is usually awkward in short range combat, but…_ She looked dubiously at the Nagamaki, its size puny in comparison to the javelin. _Will that blade be able to withstand the impact?_

There was a loud ringing clang as the weapons met. By a stroke of luck, the Nagamaki was still intact.

Outside the room, they heard the sound of footsteps. Radcon grinned.

"By the way, I hope you don't mind I invited a few buddies along…"

Caterina really hated waiting sometimes.

Ever since Edryana left, there had been no word of any new developments from either her or Sister Kate. Usually, Caterina did not mind waiting; it came with her position. But the fact that neither had reported anything new was making her anxious. It was only a matter of time before someone asked about her fosterling's whereabouts.

The weight of a hand settled on her shoulder and the Duchess of Milan looked up to see Abel. _Was I that obvious?_

Abel merely smiled warmly at her. "I wouldn't worry so much, Lady Caterina. After all, we must place our complete faith in them." Pause. "If it comforts you, in all the time I've known Tres, I've never known him to fail you or Maria. He probably doesn't realize this himself, but you have the same status as God in his eyes." His smile widened. "He'll bring her back safe and unharmed, just you wait."

"Abel…"

The Gunslinger was forced to back out of the room to dodge a second charge by Radcon. The jump he had executed however, forced him into a group of men; Radcon's followers. Tres knew that even if he tried to counterattack all of them he was still open to Radcon's attack.

He did it anyway, and the attack was not long in coming.

But it never reached the intended target, and Radcon was forced to watch in shock as a silver blur slashed cleanly through the Pilum.

Tres did not regard his savior as she landed on the ground. "Edryana."

"Allow me to eliminate the minimal threats; you focus on the Radcon and Sister Maria."

"…Positive."

Zantetsuken flashed as Edryana regarded the men circling her. "It would be best for you to surrender. However, body language suggests that it is your least desired course of action."

Snarling at the Gunslinger, Radcon pulled out a Bastard sword and attacked him. The man's guard was tight, which rendered Tres' strategy obsolete.

His initial plan had been to pull out the Stiletto, counting on the weapon's purpose as a stabbing weapon to penetrate through any exposed chain mail that was not covered by the chest plate on Radcon's body.

It would have worked…given that Radcon relaxed his assault just enough for Tres to reach for the weapon.

However, the Gunslinger suspected that Radcon might have entertained the idea that Tres might be concealing more than one weapon on his person. He may be a violent, sadistic brute but the man was far from stupid. If he was, he would have been captain of the ICMPD by a stroke of dumb luck.

Still, he would not fail. _Would_ not allow himself to fail.

There…an opening!

The Gunslinger pulled his fist back, then slammed it full force into the section covering Radcon's stomach. Radcon was pushed back slightly by the force of the blow. He smiled at the android sympathetically.

"Only a dent. How sad for a robot…" He chuckled, triumph evident in his voice.

However, the smile soon faltered, followed by a loud splintering crack and a steady **_plip, plip_** that appeared to magnify itself whenever it hit the floor. At the same time, Tres felt the sleeve of his right arm become wet and stick to his skin as dark red streams flowed down his arm.

"What…what are you?"

The Gunslinger was unable to answer Radcon's last words, half-listening to the man's voice becoming a dying gurgle as his eyes remained fixed on the crimson-tinted blade which had seemingly grown from his skin, impaling Radcon's stomach.

As Tres yanked his arm away from the corpse, he noticed Maria on the floor a few feet away; she had somehow managed to crawl out of the room despite her handicapped state.

She was safe, and that was good. Yet why did he feel pain when she was staring at him like he was a complete stranger?

"Tres, you're…you're a Methuselah?"

End Act XVI

E-ko: We're sorry for the delay!  
F-ko: So here's your update, dear readers!  
E-ko: There's more to our Gunslinger Prince than we thought!  
F-ko: Indeed, who knew!?  
Both: To the Reviews!

**Anna' Azure**: And here you go, for reading satisfaction! It was supposed to be up yesterday, but there were complications...  
**Sinn Fein**: And I did! XD And now...to plan next draft...

Both: Read & Review!  
E-ko: You will be so glad you did!!!


	19. Act XVII: Flashbacks & Erotism

A/N: SORRY FOR THE DELAY! WOULDN'T LET ME POST ANYTHING YESTERDAY! ALRIGHT NOW ON WITH THE FIC!

Act XVII

"Well, it does not seem to affect your performance, nor does it seem to affect you physically or mentally." Pause. "I doubt there will be a repeat experience, however."

Tres nodded slowly as he unrolled his shirt sleeve and put on his overcoat before walking out the door. Gepetto stared after him, frowning imperceptibly before turning back to what he had been working on prior to the checkup.

Caterina had been sitting on a chair next to the bed, where Maria was sleeping off the effects of the tranquilizer. She was half-asleep when she heard the door open and the Duchess of Milan raised her head towards the sound.

"Who is it?"

Footfalls muffled by the carpeted floor greeted in response, followed by the sound of the door being closed. She watched silently as Almace Straif jumped onto the bed and curled up into a ball, mewling softly. She did not acknowledge the person behind her.

"Lady Caterina, I strongly insist that you get some rest." There was a pause, with a hint of reluctance. "…I will watch over Maria in your place. It is my duty—no, my promise—to you."

His words made the corners of her lips curve upward in a small smile. _He says it like he has never heard of the concept._ Pause. _And perhaps in a sense, it is alien to him._ She turned her head to look at the Gunslinger.

"And I will hold it to you, Father Tres. Very well, take a seat and make yourself comfortable. It will be a long night." "Positive." Caterina rose from the chair and left the room.

Tres sat down on the chair, his back held straight as he placed his guns on his lap, eyes never leaving the sleeping form on the bed.

And despite his alert state, part of him kept reliving the last moments of that battle.

_She had implored—no, begged—for him to save the child. At first he failed to see how he could._

_The child in question was a newborn infant. Possibly from days to a few weeks old at the most. Newly arrived into this cold, brave, new world and it was dying. _

_He lifted a section of the blanket in which the baby was wrapped in to confirm its sex and was greeted by a miniature version of his own King's Iron. Male._

_The man let go of the blanket, thinking it would be better to end the child's misery. He would die slowly after all; it would take several hours until the final breath._

_He looked into the infant's face, studying it. Somehow the man knew that if this baby survived and grew into a man, he would be beautiful. Beauty with a touch of coldness and sensuality. But it would also be hidden, save from those who do not avert their eyes from it. _

_Finally, the man looked into his eyes. The color of dark chocolate, though now they were glazed with death, which made them seem almost black in color. And void of emotion. _

_Looking again however, he could glimpse a phantasm of a shine, thickly veiled, in his eyes. A ghost of a shine that hinted at hidden knowledge, and dare he think it?—hope. _

"_I can't die yet. Not until my purpose is found and fulfilled." The shine seemed to say._

_After a brief moment of consideration, the man turned to the woman's corpse, curled up by the side of the road in front of his house, and addressed her formally._

"_Very well, madam. I shall honor your wish and save him. I will raise him in your place and make him into more than you could have hoped for." He paused, glancing down at the bundle in his arms, whose contents were beginning to stir. In seconds the silence would be disrupted by cries._

"…_A number of power." Pause. "Three has always been a number of power; from this day henceforth that shall be your name."_

"_**Did you know about you being a vampire?"**_

"_**Negative."**_

"_**Is that really so bad? If you are one, shouldn't you fear her?"**_

"_**The Professor said it was unlikely I would exhibit any form of such powers again." **_

"_**Note the way he said unlikely—"**_

"_**Shut up."**_

Tres gave Almace the slightest of glares, and the Bengal cat merely stared back through unblinking eyes. After a while, Tres stopped glaring at the cat when he noticed Maria's body stir.

The Gunslinger remained immobile, his eyes on her body as she turned to face his way. A subconscious action; Maria was one of those who tossed and turned as they slept, not because of discomfort or nightmares, but simply because they were more comfortable that way.

He heard a soft whisper and recognized her voice. Maria had only uttered the one word; his name. At first he hesitated, since Maria was asleep, but then he shrugged it off and rose from the chair. A summons was still a summons.

Leaning in close, he whispered in her ear softly. "I am here. What is it, Sister Maria?"

"Tres, I—"

Delicately, he placed his finger on her lips, pushing down a little to silence her. Something told him that her words were something he was not ready to hear, not yet.

Maria remained silent but did not close her lips. Instead, she opened them and closed them again, effectively trapping his finger in her mouth.

For an instant, Tres felt another glitch, what most would call "panic", rise in his chest, and the Gunslinger tried to pull away his finger.

She refused to give up her prey so easily, however, and licked his finger slowly, swirling her tongue around it.

The Gunslinger's eyes widened a little then relaxed when he saw she was not doing anything that might harm him. He soon abandoned all ideas of removing his finger when she began sucking on it.

Whatever she was doing to him in her sleep was soothing, and yet, at the same time Tres could not help but feel a twinge of fear.

Why did it feel so, as humans said, _good_?

End Act XVII

A/N 2: Normally I'd do a commentary by E-ko and F-ko here, along with responses to reviews but I shall leave that for the next chapter.


	20. Act XVIII: God Mocks You

Act XVIII

Temptation.

The Gunslinger was not familiar with the word; not in context, anyway. Yes, he had heard it multiple times in Mass whenever the First Lecture was an excerpt from the Book of Genesis. But Tres Iqus had never attached any significance to the term.

Now, part of him wondered if Caterina's God was mocking him.

_He allowed her to go on as she wished. Tres, in the end, was but a servant; it was not his place to disobey. _

_Until the Gunslinger felt it._

_A slight heat in his groin, followed by a sensation he recognized as throbbing. His member rising a few inches. No longer dormant. _

_Tres had freed himself and left the room, standing outside the door until he felt certain he could stay in the same room with Maria and not do something._

_What "something" was, the Gunslinger could not say._ _Part of him was afraid to. _

She was relieved.

Relieved to hear that Tres _should_ have been a Methuselah but for some incomprehensible twist of fate, he was not.

"Humans feed on the flesh of cattle and poultry. Vampires feed on the flesh of the humans. Should it not follow that something should feed on the vampires also…?"

Abel had once told her he tended to say that to Methuselah he faced in battle when he turned Crusnik. It often inspired fear in them, he said. And on a few occasions the vampires he had faced had wet themselves.

That aside, the Crusnik also said that despite their differences (she was the genuine article while he relied on nanomachines), Maria would also need to feed on vampires too.

Ruminating on this thought, she looked down at the gelatinous red pill in her hand.

It made her think of pomegranate seeds, though she had no idea why. And despite that her hybrid genes made her more immune to the sun's rays, invulnerable to silver bullets (it did not stop her from getting a skin rash from it, though), and she did not have much need to consume blood, she still had to take the blood pill.

In a way, Maria was glad. It meant she did not need to bite vampires.

On one occasion, the Empire had sent some samples of a new agent they had invented to the Vatican. Its purpose, according to the letter that came with the shipment, was similar to the insulin shots used for patients with diabetes, only the former was meant for vampires. The pill was to provide the Methuselah with the blood they needed, negating the need to feed off the Terrans.

The Empire had sent the shipment to Rome so that it could be distributed in Italy. It had already been tested several times in Byzantium and had proven effective, rending the blood drives the Imperial capital previously held every Saturday obsolete.

Maria recalled having tried one of the pills. _I must have at least just turned thirteen I think…_ It had been a self-dare; she had overheard Caterina explaining the blood pill's purpose to Father Havel, and had wondered if it would work the same for Crusniks.

She made a grimace at the memory of the taste. Perhaps she had exaggerated then, but at the time it seemed she had swallowed a kilo of blood. _I couldn't get the taste out for days. Like swallowing melted copper… _Maria thought, dropping the special pill that had been developed for her by the Empire's chemists once the Vatican had written to them of its partial success with Crusniks.

Once the pill had diluted and mixed with the pomegranate tea, she gulped down the entire beverage, fighting back the unreasonable impulse to get another blood pill and make the same mistake of four years past.

_At least I won't be tempted to bite him, now… _

Gepetto was rummaging through his notes. Usually, he was a somewhat compulsive neat freak, but when he was looking for something, his study became a mess. "Where is it…?" He muttered to himself, throwing a book over his shoulder and hitting William squarely in the face when he opened the door.

"OW!" William cupped his now-bleeding nose, broken by the force of the book hitting his face. Gepetto whirled around, blinking several times. "What happened to your nose, friend?"

"YOU HAPPENED TO IT, YOU IDIOT!" William wasted no time in smacking his old friend and colleague with the book.

Gepetto hardly registered the pain from the blow as he saw the title. "Oh, William you found it!" Grinning, he hugged the Albion scientist. After a few seconds, William pushed him away, apparently used to this behavior.

"So what were you looking for?"

The last three bullets glanced off the whirling shuriken, forcing him to dodge.

It's off. He thought, frowning down at the other shuriken, littered across the floor.

Tres wasn't the only one frowning; two of the other occupants in the training range were frowning too, though like the Gunslinger's, their frowns were imperceptible. The third occupant would be frowning too, if he could.

"_**Twenty-seven out of thirty shuriken. Your aim is off today."**_

"_**I know. I do not require the three of you to remind me."**_

"**_Is something wrong, Tres? Earlier today, you had a touch of anxiety about you."_** Edryana spoke the word as though it was from an unfamiliar language.

"_**Negative. Do not concern yourself, Edri."**_

He sensed she was about to object, then felt her quieting. **_"Affirmative."_**

"_**You should ignore him, Edri. I think he's going through what humans call "DENIAL." **_

"_**Denial? Of what? Almace, if brother does not want me to worry, then I shall trust his judgment." **_

"**_Are you sure that's a good idea?"_** Deus asked, reminding the other three of his presence.

"**_May we proceed with the training?"_** Tres cut in, bringing the discussion to a grinding halt.

"You kept journals on all of them?"

"I figured I would need to monitor their progress after that delicate operation."

"And you were looking for this one?" The Albion scientist tapped on the black leather-bound book with his pipe.

"That's right. The journals are a chronicle of my children. All were unique individuals sharing the same loss." Pause. His voice became sad. "All lost the essence of being human to some degree."

William raised an eyebrow. He had never seen his friend so distraught. Then something hit him.

"Gepetto…I could not help but notice that Tres, Deus, and Edryana lack the slots on their necks through which they could download information. Is that why…?"

"William, the reason I make them able to learn things by exposing them to external media such as watching movies or videos, or even reading books is because to do as you pointed out…would be to strip away the remnants of what little humanity is left in them."

Pause.

"They are cyborgs, William. All of them."

End Act XVIII

F-ko: Wow, two chapters in one day!  
E-ko: Good thing too! It makes up for the delay last weekend and yesterday!  
F-ko: The story is becoming more interesting!  
E-ko: More secrets become revealed...  
Both: Only the author knows what will happen next!

**Sinn Fein**: I'm glad you're enjoying it. Sorry for the delay. A friend was staying over and I couldn't submit anything on Monday. But here are two chapters to compensate for that!

**Anna' Azure**: You've been mentioned approximately three times now, I think. Anyways, here are two chapters for your reading pleasure.

Both: Read and Review for more updates!


	21. Act XIX: Seppesai

Act XIX

The fangs were there. Just barely distinguishable, but there they were.

He had been standing in front of the bathroom mirror, examining his teeth. It was for the sake of curiosity, really. And curiosity had sated him, answering his question.

They seemed half-grown, caught between the size of human canines and that of vampires. Tres highly doubted he could puncture someone's neck with these paltry imitations.

_Perhaps, I am a Methuselah, but not in the established sense of the term._

The Gunslinger did not know where this thought had sprung from, but it made sense. He shed both the blood of humans and vampires whenever he dealt out lead. And in some cases, silver.

Had Tres shared this thought with Maria, she would have uttered a term that summed it up perfectly.

_Seppe-sai_. The Death-seller.

The world described in the book frightened her at times. It frightened her because it was eerily similar to the one in which she lived.

And who was to say that what was happening in the book had not already happened? Granted, the conditions were not as drastic. Time was not thin, and you could still rely on such things as a compass to know in which direction North was. You could count on the cardinal directions to remain fixed, and the sun to rise from the east and settle in the west.

In other words, the world she was in was in more stable conditions than the one in the book, All-world.

There, one could not rely on maps; distances seemed to stretch out and you took longer reaching your destination. Watches could not be used; Time was messed up. The directions of the compass were in drift.

In short, the world was sick. Perhaps even dying.

Reading Stephen King's _Magnum Opus_ sometimes made Maria ponder one question:

What if _her_ world, the one in which she was born and raised, was in a coma?

Caterina drummed her fingers in frustration. Once more, the Pope, his siblings, the College of Cardinals, and Maria were gathered in the Sistine Chapel. She was restless, and judging by the constipated expression on Francesco's face, he was too. Maria, she noticed, was absorbed in her book, paying not one iota of attention while Alessandro was discreetly concealing a yawn.

The College of Cardinals was too busy arguing about the renewal of St. Peter's Basilica to notice these details. Just as Caterina was entertaining the thought of sneaking out of the chapel, one of the cardinals turned to them. Instead of addressing His Holiness, he addressed Maria instead.

"Sister Langden; have you any opinions on the matter of the Basilica on Vatican Hill?" It was a test; a test to gauge Maria's potential for when she would inherit Caterina's title of Duchess of Milan. Perhaps the potential to ascend to the rank of Cardinal as well.

_I only hope they're ready for disappointment._ She thought, sighing inwardly. _My **brothers** could have told them to expect an answer that they will be against._

Maria lifted her gaze from The _Dark Tower III: The Wastelands_ to the group of black robed men, her eyes drawn particularly to the hooded individuals from the Inquisition Department.

The reason was a simple one: their robes were similar to the white robes once worn by the Triple K, the difference being in the color of their robes and the fact that they were actually part of the Roman Catholic Church as opposed to the Triple K.

She had to fight down the urge to laugh, however; she could only think of the lawsuit the Triple K might throw at the Vatican for "copyright infringement of uniform." Pushing the thought away from her mind, Maria closed the book and stood up.

"You asked for my opinion. Therefore I will give it." Deep breath.

"I am not against the renewal of the Basilica, despite my disdain for religion. Certainly, St. Peter's Basilica is a work of art, and such things, I believe, must be treasured. For do they not speak of better times?"

Up to this point, most or all the cardinals have been nodding approvingly. All save Caterina, Francesco and Alessandro; they were waiting for Maria to ruin her eloquent speech.

The moment was not long in coming.

"Should you go ahead with the renewal of the Basilica, I would implore of you, the College of Cardinals, to remove the preserved corpses of the deceased Popes. Send them to their family's mausoleum, pile them up in a funeral byre and set them alight, put them in the underground crypt beneath the Basilica, I care not. Just get them out of the church."

_3…2…1…_

And thus was Maria's eloquent statement magnificently smashed.

There were times when he wondered if the Florentine shouldn't have been a writer instead of a scientist.

He had only read the first three pages, and was sharply reminded—and amazed—of his friend's ability with the written word. William recalled one of their classes in university where they could explain a free subject of their choice. However, the prerequisites of the project required that the attitude be educational and that they had to contrive for a way to prevent their fellow classmates from being bored.

Though William Walter Wordsworth was certain Gepetto Garibaldi worked hard on the project, it came to him effortlessly, and he had enraptured the class the same way Susannah Dean had enraptured Matthiesen Van Wyck with the scrimshaw _Skoldpadda_.

Had the Albion scientist read _The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah_, he would have found this strange example of mass-hypnotism unnerving.

"_The boy never ceases to amaze me. None of them cease to amaze me. But he in particular, or a part of him, seems especially keen in not letting me down. _

_First, it was the transition._

_My hopes were not particularly high; he was an infant, newly born into this world. The work I was doing was extremely delicate—and risky—especially as this was the first occasion that I was performing it on a newborn. Even as I worked, I wondered if it had been a bad idea to name him then; he could die at any moment, after all._

_He survived. God had decided he should live._

_Some time after, I discovered the weak strain of the virus. _

_At first I didn't notice it was weak. I decided to investigate when I noticed the lack of vampiric traits. When I did, I realized the strain he was infected with was so weak there was an incredibly slim chance of him becoming a vampire. _

_He never did become one. The virus decided to quit after making his canines into paltry imitations that would never puncture skin. Prick it? Perhaps. But puncture it? Never; they lacked the right length and edge._

_Third: Quite possibly, he was the most unnerving child I've encountered in my life. I'm certain that Carrie with all her emotional angst and trauma did not compare. (Note: I never could sleep well at night after finishing that novel when it was dark outside.)_

_When he was injured, he never cried, as most children do. To be perfectly frank, neither did the others, not even Deus, who was most attuned to his humanity. But Tres' eyes seemed empty. His emotions, if any, I knew were heavily veiled. There were times I suspected he was in denial of their existence. Many times I heard him mutter to himself, "A glitch, a temporary malfunction in my systems." _

_The tone of his voice carried a hidden undertone of fear. As though emotions were wrong, perhaps even the equivalent of Original Sin._

_Finally, there was the cat._

_I never bothered to inquire where he was and what he was doing at the time. I only knew that he had rushed into the house, his shoes tracking mud over the floor and carpet. Tres had barged into my office without so much as a knock, holding a tiny kitten in the crook of one arm. The boy only said four words._

"_Can you save him?"_

_In the end, another cyborg joined the family."_

William placed a bookmark in the book and closed it, chuckling to himself. "Just when you're sure you know all there is to know about a person, your perspective is blown out of proportion and you land on your ass back in Square One."

End Act XIX

F-ko: (frown) This was meant to be a longer chapter...  
E-ko: True, but this seems a good place to end it.  
F-ko: And of course, V-ko will do her best to keep it interesting.  
E-ko: I hope so. We're already on the magic number...  
F-ko: Don't start the number business again...  
E-ko: Nineteenth nervous breakdown!  
F-ko: (bonks her with newspaper)

**Sinn Fein**: I'm glad you did Here's another.  
**Jinsane226**: An avid reader! YAY! I'm glad you're loving this story. Did you hear about it here or in DevART? (is also promoting story in DeviantART)

Both: READ & REVIEW!


	22. Act XX: Mosaics & White Day

Act XX

"Sooner or later we are going to need a new approach."

A soft chuckle answered his remark as soft hands gently caressed his skin. "Tell us thy will and we shall obey, Mein Herr." A beautiful voice, carrying the accent of his motherland, the land of the Third Reich, once known as Prussia.

Pale, elegant fingers entangled themselves in ice-blue hair as the first speaker brought his face close to his companion's, their lips millimeters away from a kiss.

"All of you are brilliant masters in the art of mass chaos. All of you strive so hard in your endeavors to accomplish the will of our fraternity. But even geniuses need muses."

"Mein Herr—"

"Eis Hexe!" She quieted upon hearing her codename. The man smiled and pulled her to his lap, making sure she felt the hard shaft between her legs. After a few moments, the women spoke, this time in a whisper. "Aye, Mein Herr?"

"From now on, when we are alone…we shall abandon all formalities." Pause. "We're past that, at any rate." He added, casting a glance at the discarded heap of clothes on the floor. The woman allowed herself a small smile. Smiling changed her, making her appear vastly younger than she actually was, a girl-child in the cusp of maidenhood.

"As thee wishes, Cain Knightlord."

Cain smiled and leaned in close, his arms encircling her waist as white wings concealed them from view. "You've always been a fast learner, Helga, one of the many things that fascinate me about you."

"When it comes to inconveniality, you never let us down."

"Us?" Maria looked at Caterina with questioning eyes.

"By "us" I mean my brothers and myself. I find myself wondering if the old men in the College of Cardinals are senile. It's been several times that the issue of a complete—not partial—renewal of St. Peter's Basilica has been raised, and you always say the same thing. You make a pretty little speech, fancy writing and all, then you smash it utterly by proposing they remove those corpses from the Basilica."

Pause. "Cry pardon, Maria, but it gets to me—hell, it gets to Francesco and Alessandro—every time." She added, suppressing a chuckle.

"But you realize why I keep proposing that they move the bodies, right?" Maria asked, a serious tone in her voice. The Duchess of Milan regained her composure and sipped more tea.

"Your argument is more than reasonable; it is perfectly common sense. And it would show them that you respect the dead, if not the Roman Catholic Church." She sipped more tea.

Maria nodded before continuing on. "I believe placing bodies in a church is distasteful, and it also appears unsanitary. It's true, it's been many years before they died, and their corpses have remained perfectly intact for some reason or another. However, not even the Popes were immune to sickness and disease. What if one or two of the bodies in the Basilica had been infected with a disease?"

"…The people who attend mass there must have been incredibly fortunate. Or have a very strong immune system. You have a valid argument there, however. Continue."

"Also, I doubt the spirits of those Popes would like being on display. I'm still surprised they're not haunting us or something. And for my part, if I attended Mass at the Basilica, I'd be uncomfortable having those bodies in the same area." Pause. "It's bad enough that the religion itself can be depressing."

Caterina refilled their cups. "I see what you mean. I've become accustomed to it so it does not bother me overmuch. Moving on, though; Maria, in the near future I—" Caterina trailed off at the sound of creaking from the door.

The door opened to reveal a girl. She was about one inch smaller than Esther, with wavy, silver hair that reached mid-back and mismatched eyes, one gold, the other violet. The girl appeared two or one year younger than Maria, give or take a year.

A pretty, delicate-looking girl. The VBI uniform did not suit her at all.

"Forgive the disturbance, Your Eminence. My employer sent me here to tell Sister Maria something." Maria immediately felt some pity for the girl. She did not really want to know how this girl ended up in the VBI. _She must be really intimidated by them…_ She thought. "What is the message?"

"You are to come to his office. He also said it won't take long."

Maria mused over this. At times Francesco lacked the patience to interact with Maria, especially on April 1st or February 14th, though Maria hated Valentines' Day with a passion and merely sent him dark chocolate as a kindness; she never failed to remind him to return said kindness on March 14th.

The response to this? "WE'RE NOT IN JAPAN, IDIOT!"

It was practically a ritual now.

"Let's go then."

He was standing now. Somewhere during their vigorous lovemaking they had gotten out of the keyhole-shaped bathtub and he was now thrusting into her, her back pressed against the wall.

Most likely the rest of the Orden was hearing everything even if they didn't want to.

Cain and Helga didn't give a damn if they were being so loud.

Mosaics.

Byzantium.

Byzantium.

Mosaics.

It was the first word that popped in his head whenever he heard the name "Byzantium." Just like when he heard the name "Toledo", he thought

_(Swords)_

Or whenever he heard the old name of Albion, he thought

_("Hail Brittania")_.

The mosaics were pretty, though. Tres had liked staring at them the few times he had entered a museum.

_I wonder if there are any in the Capital. _

The Gunslinger had been thinking about an upcoming assignment when his thoughts had drifted to the mosaics. The assignment was an important one, similar to the tour that had ended on a disastrous note in Cartago. This time, however… One might say they were entering the belly of the beast.

This time they were going to Byzantium.

This time, Tres would see the woman with whom Lady Caterina had exchanged letters. Had Tres known the term _penpals_ he would have coined it. But he did not know it and whether he did or not was irrelevant.

_Sister Maria—she has always wanted to visit Byzantium._ The Gunslinger thought, recalling the numerous occasions where the young woman would have yammered for hours on the subject.

Unbidden, an image of the girl in question rose in his mind. Usually, Tres would have done all he could to make it vanish, but today…he didn't feel like bothering with glitches today.

_I'll let it slide…for now. _

It took her several minutes to register his words.

"Did I hear you right? You want both AX and VBI members to attend a fundraiser event at the Home for Tiny Terrors?"

"Yes. And it's St. Stephen's Children's Home."

"Why?"

Francesco sighed. "Look, Alessandro came up with the idea. He said we could afford to give some money to an orphanage. The puppy-dog eyes were hard to refuse too."

"…Can your people even sing? It's a karaoke contest."

"I've never had the pleasure of hearing them sing, how should I know?"

Maria sighed. "Fine. I'll see to it that we go to the damn fundraiser. You owe me for this."

"Alright, I owe you." He took a paper and scribbled an I.O.U on it before giving it to Maria. She studied it and frowned. "No good; we need blood, too!"

Twitch. "Now you're bordering on the ridiculous, Maria. Please get out before you infect me with your attitude."

"Just remember to buy white chocolates on White Day."

"WRONG MONTH, IDIOT!"

End Act XX

E-ko, F-ko: And now...An announcement from V-ko, aka ValarSpawn:

A/N: Twenty chapters, yay! (celebrates) In a sense, this chapter is both crucial to the storyline and a filler. And it's the third chapter with slight mature content. The crucial part, obviously is the debut of the RCO (sort of; do two people count as a debut?). Somehow, it just didn't seem right to write a Trinity Blood fanfiction and **NOT** include the RosenKreuz Orden, baddies who could probably give Orochimaru and the Akatsuki a run for their money (no offense to Naruto fans; I love these guys too, but they didn't come up a system that causes earthquakes in a certain area by playing a pipe organ, did they? Yeah, I thought as much.)

Continuing on, expect another bonus after Act XX. I might be lazy and just put my concept profile of Gepetto, but...oh well. V-ko out!

**Sinn Fein**: If I were a fanartist, I would try to make a present for you for being so loyal to this fic. Unfortunately I'm not, so I hope this update is good enough to compensate for it.

**Jinsane226**: YAY! (hug) Do any of your friends like Trinity Blood? It would be nice to see more people reading this story. And it would be good for my muse if more reviews came. She's greedy for them so she is. XD

Note: St. Stephen's Children's Home is mentioned in the fanfic "The Trinity Times", it's a really good fanfic so check it out!

Both: Read & Review, Readers! For the power to revolutionize the World!  
V-ko: Wrong anime, guys.


	23. Act XXI: Suffocation Hazards

Act XXI

She felt nervous. Depending on the results of her performance, the fate of the world will change for good…or ill.

Maria knew this; had, in fact, been groomed for these moments. She just didn't expect to start working on it so quickly.

It turned out that Caterina was not able to go to Byzantium herself, due to work keeping her in the Vatican. However, to just call off the journey would be discourtesy so the Duchess of Milan assigned Maria to be her proxy.

_A fancy synonym for "substitute."_ Maria looked at herself. She was wearing her own, custom-tailored version of Caterina's cardinal robes. The style was influenced by that of the clothing the nobles in the Empire sometimes wore, which explained why the red hat seemed to have a rather geometric shape. Come to think of it, anyone associated with Byzantium seemed rather overfond of geometric shapes—

"Status report, Sister Maria?"

Tres' voice brought her out of her reverie. Her eyes flicked towards his, though she did not feel like holding his gaze now. "What was that?" "Status report, Sister Maria?"

"Ugh. Not right now, Tres. Feeling…sleepy…" Her voice trailed off into silence as Maria's eyes closed and she lay back against the seat. Before Tres could try to investigate the source of her sudden tiredness, he heard the faint strains of a song from the radio.

"_Hey, Jude, don't make it bad  
Take a sad song and make it better  
Remember to let her into your heart  
Then you can start to make it better…"_

The Gunslinger frowned. _"Hey Jude"_ always seemed to have that effect on Maria. She once explained to him that the song was long and slow, with a rhythm that seemed made to make people fall asleep. Tres hadn't bothered to point out that thus far, she seemed to be the only individual that fell asleep while listening to _"Hey Jude."_

He stared at her for a few seconds before approaching the sleeping girl and removing his glove. Hesitantly, Tres placed his hand on her cheek, stroking it gently. Soft and cool to the touch, with a hint of warmth underneath. He ran his thumb lightly over Maria's bottom lip.

For a moment, all the Gunslinger could do was stare at them. There was something he felt he should do that involved those lips.

_This does not compute. I shall analyze these glitches later; I may have erred in overlooking them and I must now rectify that error. _

Tres pulled away and put his glove back on before exiting the State Cabin.

"Gunslinger calling Iron Maiden."

"Iron Maiden reporting. What is it?"

"Change the music. She falls asleep to that song."

"So they're coming here on a battleship?"

"From what I understand, the Vatican does not have a diplomatic transport. They do have ocean cruisers that serve as diplomatic vessels but they cannot use those to reach the inland."

Mirka Fortuna, Duchess of Moldova, Head of the Imperial Secret Council and Keeper of Secret History sat at the right of the Empress' right side, listening to Suleyman's response before adding her own opinion.

"I'm certain that they would have preferred not to use the Iron Maiden II altogether but they did not have much choice between one single battleship and a fleet."

"A fleet would have been seen as more threatening, I suppose…"

Other council members nodded, and talk lapsed into silence. The silence lasted at least ten minutes before someone spoke.

"When is the Cardinal's proxy due to arrive?" This time, it was the Empress who spoke.

"Today. She is due to arrive today."

Something was wrong.

She was having trouble breathing. Hell, she could feel her lungs desperately grabbing for any available particles of air before pushing them out only for the task to become much harder.

…_Why the fuck did they lace it so tight!?_

Leaning against a wall, she took a deep breath, albeit with much difficulty, and screamed the first name that came to mind. It was also the last name she would have wanted to scream. But the name's owner had looked after her for so long it was reflex by now.

"T-TRES! PLEASE, I NEED YOU!"

The Gunslinger was not the only one who heard the scream but he was the first one there. Swiftly the Gunslinger walked to her. "Are you choking, Sister Maria?"

Gasp. "N-no. I haven't eaten yet…the lacings on the corset…too tight…"

Tres looked at her back and pulled down the zipper pulling down on the crimson robe with gold and white adornments until it reached her waist. The fact that he had pulled down her dress was lost on him as he located the laces on the back of the corset. "This?" The Gunslinger tugged slightly.

Maria felt the tug. "That's it. Pull on them."

Tres pulled until they came undone and Maria gasped as she inhaled deeply, resulting in a fit of coughing. He patted her back until they stopped, and Maria turned to him. "Thanks. Sometimes I wonder where I'd be without you, Tres." She remarked as she hugged him.

Tres' eyes widened a fraction before he slowly returned the hug. All too quickly however, he let go of her and went to the door, opening it by a fraction as the other AX members that had come along crowded at the entrance.

"We heard her scream. Is Maria alright, Tres!?" Maria blushed a little and moved out of sight from the door. "She is alright, Father Garcia. It was only her corset." Naturally, this was interpreted as something totally different.

"Her cors--! Tres, what are you two doing in there!?" "Question does not compute; more information is required." Esther's voice cut off Abel's. "Father Nightroad, I don't think Tres knows what you're talking about…"

Finally, Maria spoke. "Guys, it's not what you think; Tres just undid my corset before I could faint that's all."

A collective sign of relief was heard. "That's all? Sorry for earlier then. We'll, uh…be going now."

Tres closed the door silently and walked over to her. Taking the laces in both hands, he tightened the corset a bit more comfortably.

It was thirty minutes after 12:00 pm when they arrived. Maria walked down the boarding ramp by herself, her fellow colleagues close behind. Ion Fortuna and Astaroshe Asran were standing in the hangar. Apparently, they had been waiting for them.

"We are to escort you to the Palace where you will have audience with Empress Augusta Vradica." Maria could only nod in response as she approached them, the others not far behind.

End Act XXI

V-ko: Sorry about the bonus! It was supposed to be between every ten chapters but I couldn't think of anything to write, and I didn't want to put up a profile. Also I was busy during the weekend. There was a con yesterday...I went as L from Death Note! That had to be the easiest cosplay I've ever done, and the cheapest: It didn't cost me a thing! XD

F-ko: And here's Act XXI!  
E-ko: The capital of Byzantium, a center of culture...and vampires!  
F-ko: E-ko don't piss them off...  
E-ko: Lalalala...Wonder what will happen?  
F-ko: There is more under the surface than you know!  
Both: Read & Review!


	24. Act XXII: Audience in Ukiyo

Act XXII

If she had been nervous on the flight, it was nothing to what she was feeling now. Maria felt like an awesome weight had been placed on her; it was proving difficult to remain calm and not think of it too much.

_Now I know how Alessandro feels…I don't envy him in the least._

The decision to hold a palaver of peace with the Empire had been an important step. Such a move was once thought improbable by all the world powers. The Vatican itself was still recovering from the shock of asking the New Human Empire to hold peace negotiations. However, they were mostly recovering from the shock of the person who came up with the idea.

_Alessandro, I wish I could tell you how proud I am of you…_

At this moment, she knew that His Holiness was in Albion, working to improve the living conditions of Methuselah living there. He had told her that while they were reasonably well off in economic terms, Alessandro's purpose was to get them out of the ghettos.

_I don't believe in Gods, but I shall pray for you, Alessandro. I pray for you to succeed and get us one step closer to Caterina's dream._

Astaroshe's voice snapped Maria out of her reverie. "This is the Imperial Residence, Ukiyo." Monica raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't royals normally name their palaces and castles in their own language?" "Normally, they would. The empress liked the sound of the term and its meaning though, and thus she named the palatial residence in Byzantium, Ukiyo."

"Are they all coming into the throne room with you, Sister Maria or just a select few?" Ion inquired, looking at her sidelong. "Well…" Maria trailed off, glancing at her colleagues.

Hugue was automatically out; when it came to vampires, the man was Hera from the Greek myths, the only differences alienating one from the other being that Hugue was male, mortal, and his hate was directed towards vampires. And while Maria knew he could restrain himself, the idea of Sword Dancer in a room full of vampires did not sit too well with her.

Leon was eliminated as well, although her reason for this was not as serious compared to Hugue's: Maria just thought Leon should have worn a shirt under his overcoat.

_Hmm…I'd like to have Monica with me, but perhaps it is better if she and Edryana stay; that way, they can keep an eye on Leon and Hugue._

The matter of Tres accompanying her was closed. If she did not have him with her, _he_ would insist on it. From past experience, Maria knew how persistent the Gunslinger could be.

She could trust Esther and Abel to behave themselves.

Breathing in deeply, she turned to her companions. "Esther, Abel and Tres will come in with me while Monica, Leon, Edryana and Hugue will wait here."

"Actually, we do have a building that serves as an embassy for important foreigners." Astaroshe said, tucking a lock of white-blond hair behind one ear. "It was commissioned by the Fortuna Family, so it's private property, though open to public use. They can wait there for the duration of the audience."

"Even better. I'd hate to hear that they've been kicked out or arrested for no reason." Ion nodded. "I'll get a cab then. Good luck to you, Sister Maria."

She watched him walk briskly down the corridor with her companions in tow before nodding to the three AX members with her, then to the Duchess of Kiev. "After you, Astaroshe."

The throne room was a Babelic hubbub of languages; the nobles could all speak the official language but they shared the mutual tendency to lapse back into their native languages. Yet despite this setback, they understood one another perfectly.

Once the doors opened however, they all quieted down and turned towards them, eager to look upon the person who would be doing peace talks with their Empress.

Five people walked in, one which they recognized to be Astaroshe Asran, Viscountess of Odessa and Duchess of Kiev. Beside her was the person who would be negotiating with Augusta Vradica, dressed in the robes of a Vatican Cardinal with the fashion style derived from the one they wore in Byzantium.

They were somewhat startled to see that she was incredibly young, with brown hair with black highlights reaching down below her waist and gray eyes, her right eye decorated by a scar. This one had seen battles, it seemed.

The less benevolent-minded courtiers were examining her as a predator examines its prey. These _Fleurs du Mal_ were only wondering whether she would make a nice toy.

"Sister Maria S. Langden, ambassador to the Vatican."

She felt like she was on display. In a sense, she was.

_Forget about them, Maria. They are only a distraction; you must focus on the matter at hand and play your part. Now, stand up straight, shoulders back, hold your head high, and so on._

Maria met the gaze of the monarch sitting on the throne before her. Then again, the young woman could not be certain if she was making eye contact or not; the empress' visage was veiled.

"Welcome to the imperial capital of Byzantium, Sister Maria. It is very lovely at this time of year, I hope you come to enjoy it for the duration of your visit."

Smile. "I hope I do, Your Imperial Majesty. I've read much of Byzantium and wanted to visit it for some time now." She did not bring up the matter of the palaver; intuition told her it was a bad tactic.

"Well, I can assure you that you shall not be disappointed." Augusta Vradica stood up and approached her. Maria wondered how old she was; she was incredibly short. A child or an old woman? She thought, glancing at the empress when she clasped Maria's hand in hers.

"We both know the reason of your visit, but you've only just arrived. To start business immediately upon your arrival would be a discourtesy."

"I agree. I look forward to palavering with you, Empress Augusta." The two shook hands and Maria felt euphoric as they dismissed themselves from the throne room and got in Astaroshe's private limousine to pick up the others at the embassy.

_Too bad we didn't bring a video camera to record it; Caterina would have been so proud of me!_

Upon arriving at Astaroshe's estate, the one setback they had was the attempted mauling of Abel courtesy of the Duchess of Kiev's Caspian tigress. Other than that not much had happened.

Then again, to say that would be to lie.

The Gunslinger was hanging up his clothes in the wardrobe. His mind was pretty much drawing a blank, though in part he was replaying what had happened in the throne room. For some reason, he had to fight down the impulse to grasp her hand and squeeze it.

What is wrong with me?

Just then, his thoughts were interrupted by the door creaking open.

Tres' hand immediately went for one of his guns, only to place it back in his holster. "You should knock before entering a room, Sister Maria." She chuckled awkwardly. "Hehe, must have slipped my mind…" She trailed off, eyes widening slightly at the sight before her.

The gunslinger was not wearing a shirt or even his overcoat. No, his abdomen was completely exposed right now, and part of her was wondering why she was not having a massive nosebleed.

Sometimes Maria forgot all too easily how gorgeous he was.

"Status report, Sister Maria." Tres had caught her looking at him, along with the glazed look that had appeared in her eyes.

She approached him, reaching out to rest her hand on his cheek. "Beautiful…" Her forefinger traced his lips lightly.

Before she could pull it back, the Gunslinger had already trapped her finger in his lips and sucked it, studying her face closely before letting go of her finger. Gray eyes met brown ones as his arm curled around her waist and pulled her forward.

"Do you know what you are doing, Gunslinger?"

Gunslinger. Hearing the word come from her lips gave it a new meaning and synonym. One he did not know.

"Unable to verify; insufficient data." Pause. "You?"

"Negative."

End Act XXII

E-ko: Things are getting interesting!  
F-ko: Those two are incredibly slow though...  
E-ko: I can't tell who's slower: the girl or the android...  
F-ko: Well, we will leave the readers guessing if something happens or not...and what happens if yes.  
E-ko: How evil!  
F-ko: (evil laughter)

**Sinn Fein**: Ah! Forgot to respond to your review from the last chapter! O.o Anyways, I'm glad you liked the ending. Despite his bitchyness, I can't help liking Francesco... Also I wanted to give some insight into his relationship with Maria, since I've already covered Caterina and Alessandro. White Day is an actual holiday in Japan though. In Valentine's day girls give dark chocolate to boys they like and a month later on the same day, guys give those girls white chocolate or gifts to show their appreciation and gratefulness.

**Jinsane226**: YES! Please introduce her to this fic. My muse cries out "FEED ME REVIEWS!"

Both: Read and Review! Or V-ko sends Sukekiyo after you! (don't see what's so threatening about a cat though)


	25. Act XXIII: First time Jealousy

Act XXIII

"The resemblance cannot be denied, Grandmere."

"That may be so, but it could also be pure coincidence this stranger resembles her so."

"All the same, this might provide us with a clue as to the whereabouts of your missing daughter and her family."

Sigh. "Very well, you can run a GENscan on her, but do so discreetly; I don't want any trouble coming out of this."

"Understood, Grandmere."

"_Alas my love, you do me wrong_

_To cast me out discourteously_

_And I have loved you oh so long_

_Delighting in your company…"_

Esther raised the volume a few decibels to hear the song more clearly. It was an old tune; no one knew the composer's identity, though there were a few theories. In any case, she wasn't really thinking about the song.

Sometimes, she liked to analyze people. The redhead liked to study their behavior and mannerisms, which often clued her in to their natures…and how they behaved around certain individuals.

In the case of Abel, Esther knew that something in her person and character pained him sometimes. Out of respect, she didn't pry; Esther had faith that the Crusnik would tell her someday.

And while he was not blatantly obvious about it, Esther suspected Abel loved her. It was all in the little details that made the big picture.

But right now, Abel wasn't the one who held her chief interest. It was Tres and Maria.

The few times Tres had discarded his automated soldier facade for something more humane usually led to Maria being the cause. The night she was abducted by Radcon in Venice was the best example; the Gunslinger had dashed off into the dark streets, not even bothering to read the letter that had been addressed to him.

His behavior had been particularly impulsive, as well as possibly brash and foolish.

_Not unlike a concerned friend…or lover._

Esther smiled at the thought.

"Are your thoughts good ones, Sister Esther?"

She looked up to see the Crusnik looking down at her, smiling.

"Yes." Abel's smile widened and he leaned down, kissing her forehead lightly.

"Good."

"_Greensleeves was my delight,_

_Greensleeves was my heart of gold_

_Greensleeves was my heart of joy_

_And who but my lady Greensleeves…"_

It was when they decided to go out into the city that the day began to turn a little gray.

Maria was sitting by herself at the fountain. Abel and Tres had gone to buy lunch for all four of them, while Esther was browsing the nearby stalls. She was currently trailing her fingers in the water when she heard a voice behind her.

"Beautiful subject, no?"

Maria glanced towards the fountain. It showed an angel and a mermaid caught in an embrace. What shook her was the voice, however.

It was incredibly erotic; she wouldn't be surprised if someone became aroused or even had an orgasm the moment the voice's owner spoke. All the same, something told her to be wary; this silver-tongued stranger had claws.

Breathing in deeply, she turned around.

Only to find herself facing an eerily familiar visage.

"…You're not Abel."

The man looming before her smiled. "No, I'm not." Delicately, he took her hand and kissed it lightly. The man did not let go, however, but continued ravishing it, going as far as to suck her fingertips.

The sensation of cold metal pressed into the back of his head as well as the sound of the gun's safety being pulled down told him that he'd gone far enough.

"You rarely show yourself in public, Cain." Abel's teeth were gritted, and his glare spoke volumes of hostility.

Cain turned around, chuckling lightly as he pushed Tres' gun aside. "Don't worry Abel; this time I'm being a good little boy. Even we need vacations you know…" He trailed off, his eyes flicking towards Maria, his gaze caressing her person in an all-too liberal manner.

It was all she could do to keep herself from running and all Tres could do from throwing himself on the man and pummeling him.

Abel looked down at Tres' clenched fist and noted the thin blood streams.

_So far, no one has met Cain for the first time and not be annoyed, irritated, or pissed… Looks like Tres isn't immune to this, either._

The Crusnik did a double take and glanced at the Gunslinger's fist again.

_Come to think of it…have I ever seen Tres bleed before?_

"What does it say, Eduards?"

"The scan checks out positive." Pause. "Still, it could just be coincidence that the girl bears so strong a resemblance, Andrejs."

Andrejs glanced towards his companion, his hazel-green eyes containing a quiet blaze.

"That may be so, Eduards. But tell me this…" Pause.

"Do you know of any other family with such a uniform pattern in their hair?" As Andrejs asked the question, he loosened the ribbon holding up his hair and proceeded to tie it up again.

Brown, with black highlights.

End Act XXIII

V-ko: Man! This chapter was hard to do! But I completed my deadline! (celebrates) Things are starting to change in this story...sort of; **SOMEONE** seems to be desperately clinging to **DENIAL** right now. Or it could be a lot of someones. (shrug) Anyways, Read & Review!


	26. Act XXIV: Androids Cannot Lie

Act XXIV

"So Contra Mundi is in Byzantium..."

"Indeed he is, Your Eminence. He claims that he is not there on business, and thus far, his claim has been a sincere one, though we've been careful to leave no stone unturned."

"Are the nobles aware?"

"One-Winged Angel contacted the Duchess of Moldova and the Empress herself to warn them, so we are now cooperating with the Yeniceri."

"That's good. Keep me updated on any new developments in the situation." Pause. "How are the negotiations coming along, Sister Kate?"

"They are to begin today. Sister Maria just left the Asran estate."

From her side of the hologram projector, Caterina nodded and cleared her throat. "Thank you, Sister Kate. Link me up with Brother Andreas in Albion."

Static. "Affirmative."

For once, Tres was _not_ following Maria around. He…_abhorred_ it.

These days, being around the young heiress had caused a relapse into the days when he once protected her. Ever since he saw Cain planting kisses on her hand, well…you get the idea.

The Gunslinger glanced at his left palm, running a thumb over the strip of cloth that was wound around his hand. He could still move his fingers, though Tres could not satisfy any itches he might get on that spot because of the bandage.

"_You know, this mission might be beneficial for you, Tres."_

"_Does not compute. What do you mean, Father Nightroad?"_

_Abel grinned. "Don't play the idiot, Tres. I saw you."_

_Tres blinked at him, a veiled expression of confusion in his eyes. "Require a more informative explanation, Father Nightroad."_

"_You. Were. Jealous. Is that enough information?"_

"_Jealous…? Please explain, Father Nightroad." Despite himself, the Gunslinger was genuinely interested. He had heard the word on occasion but this time it seemed significant._

"_It means that you felt resentment of Cain and possessive of Maria. You resented Cain because he kissed Maria's hand and she made no effort to stop him." Pause. "Not that I blame her; he has…a strong personality."_

"_Possessive…"_

"_I say "possessive" because it pretty much fits the bill. You've been together for a long time, since you were children, really. I'm certain it's only natural that you develop some form of protective, almost territorial nature when it comes to her…right?"_

_The Gunslinger couldn't answer him._

Maria tried hard not to twiddle her thumbs as she listened to the other members of the secret council. Today, she had decided to wear her Vatican uniform and had taken a gamble in bringing Monica and Hugue with her. So far, he had been on his best behavior.

"Are there any particular reasons for taking the Vatican up on their offer?" Inquired Suleyman as he turned, his eyes meeting hers. For a brief moment, Maria was distracted; Suleyman strongly reminded her of Ohtori Akio from _Shoujo Kakumei Utena_, though they were different in other aspects of their appearance and completely different in personality.

Locking eyes with him, she stood up. "I have two reasons and they are both important, though admittedly, the second reason might appear somewhat selfish."

Pause. "The first is that the world faces off against a common enemy at this moment. This enemy claims to be a Holy Order and that they want what the Vatican wants; they are merely going about it through a different means." Deep breath. "This enemy is the Rosenkreuz Orden, and that is the objective they and their leader, Contra Mundi, claim to achieve."

Maria paused again, letting everyone drink in her words until she felt she could go on. "My second reason is that I am…you could say I am indebted to someone."

At this, several individuals leaned forward in interest, wanting to hear her out.

"This person…they could have left me to die in the rain. In dark times, people forget others and even leave children to fend for themselves and to die in the streets. We're humans, not gods or angels. Sometimes to help others we must sacrifice. It's a poor justification, and offers cold comfort. But comfort served cold is oftentimes better than no comfort at all."

Now, many of those present were nodding.

"But I digress. This person could have abandoned me, but she didn't. She found me on the doorstep of her home and took me in. She even adopted me and made her successor to her titles as an Italian noble. She gave me her love and a family…a big, rowdy, dysfunctional one." The young woman chuckled a little before going on.

"Since I owe a lot to this lady, I've decided to pay her back in any way I can. She has this dream of coexistence between humans and Methuselah, and I mean to help her attain that dream." Pause. "I've said my piece for the moment."

She bowed her head slightly in respect to the Duke of Tigris before sitting down again.

"How may I help you gentlemen? If you are looking for Lady Asran, she is out on errands."

"That is fine, we are actually looking for the Vatican ambassador. Is she available?"

"I am sorry, gentlemen, but the ambassador is not available at present. She left for Ukiyo this morning. Do you wish to leave a message?"

There was a prolonged pause.

"No, it's fine. But we might come back in the afternoon. Have a good day."

"May you also have a pleasant day, my lords."

The Gunslinger's eyes narrowed a fraction as he watched the two men in long coats leave through the steel, Gothic-style gates.

_I would have to look into that later. This cannot be put off any more…_

Tres heaved a sigh and walked towards the couch in the sitting room. Lying down on it, he closed his eyes.

The Gunslinger never understood why Gepetto saw the need to include this in the "pseudo-programming." The Killing Dolls would never have need of it…right?

Tres wasn't so sure of that now, but it would not hurt to test it out, either. He had nothing to lose by doing so, anyway.

_Rewriting resident tactical program to Psycho-analysis Mode. Commencing analysis on new data…_

It was at 1:45 pm that Maria found him unconscious on the couch, his eyes open with his pupils rolled to the back of his head, exposing the whites of his eyes. "T-Tres? Tres, wake up!" She shook him but to no avail. After a while, she took out a stun gun and pressed it to the side of his neck.

There was a gasp, followed by the sound of two skulls smacking together. This in turn, was followed by multiple thuds and various shouts of pain. The end result would have struck anyone as comical save for the unfortunate victims.

The two AX members were on the floor in an interesting position: Maria was on the floor looking up at Tres while trying hard to contain her furious blush. Tres was on top of her, his face moderately tinged with pink, wearing an expression of polite surprise on his face. The Gunslinger seemed oblivious to the sensation of his crotch rubbing against hers through their pants.

"T-Tres…"

"B-Back so soon…?"

Did…Did Tres just…? She didn't have anymore time to think as the door opened and Astaroshe's manservant stepped through.

"Oh…am I interrupting anything?"

Maria's face turned redder and she squirmed beneath the Gunslinger.

"N-No! I swear, this isn't what it looks like! You've got the wrong idea!" The young woman glanced at Tres. "Help me!"

"Perhaps I should return at a more appropriate time, Sister Langden…" The manservant left, closing the door behind him and denying Maria the luxury of defending herself.

"I'll never live this down…"

"Is it that bad, Maria?"

"Of course it is! Wait, you called me Maria! What gives?" She watched as Tres peeled off his left glove and placed his hand on her forehead.

"Negative. You must be catching a fever, Sister Maria; you are experiencing delusions."

"Delusions, my ass! You called me by my first name only!" The girl protested as he pulled her up and swung her over his shoulder.

"These political meetings must be getting to you, Sister Maria. It is advisable that you rest." The Gunslinger ignored Maria's indignant protests as he reached to open the door to her room with his free hand. As he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, Maria could have sworn she felt his gun-callused hand lightly caress and squeeze her ass.

By the time she realized this, Tres had already locked her inside her room.

End Act XXIV

V-ko: Ehehe...Admittedly I had some fun in this chapter by poking at Tres and Maria. Looks like Tres got a chance to cop a feel too...! XD On the other hand I'm a little frustrated because I keep ending the chapters before those two mysterious dudes enter the scene... 

**Jinsane226**: I'm glad you like the story! Lately I haven't been able to write two chapters and submit them in one day :-(  
**Sinn Fein**: Thank you for your comment! Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

**READ & REVIEW!!!**


	27. Act XXV: Truth of Origin

Act XXV

It was close to evening when Maria succeeded in getting out of the room without causing any heavy damage to the door or windows. By now she had mostly forgotten her previous incident with the Gunslinger.

She was taking a shower when the door opened and Edryana poked her head in. "Some men are here to see you, Sister Maria." "Who?" "They claim to be representatives of House Valdemars." "Aristocrats? Why would they want to see me?" "They would not say, only that it was for your ears alone."

There was a pause. "I'll be done in a few moments. Please inform these gentlemen that I shall see them shortly." Pause. "And while you're at it, Edryana…contact Sister Kate and ask her to look up information on this "House Valdemars."

"_Affirmative."_

"_How goes everything in Albion, Deus?"_

"_Everything is…amazingly calm." Deus' voice had a tone of disbelief. "Then again, it could be that the cooler heads outnumber the heated ones in Albion."_

"_You are referring to the Knight of Annihilation?" Tres inquired. The VBI was famed for their fanatical streak, and Brother Petros was one of the worst._

"_Well, he is one…But His Holiness is keeping him under a leash…mostly. And then there's Sister Amie and Sister Kaya." Pause._

"_Prof. Garibaldi was supposed to go to Albion as well, but he said it'd be better if he and Father William held the fort back home. To make up for it, he sent in a stand-in."_

"_Who is the stand-in, Deus?"_

"_Unum."_

HC-IX, also called Unum Iqus. The first Killing Doll, and the oldest male.

While growing up in the professor's home, Tres saw him only on occasion, as Unum was almost always traveling. From what he could remember, Unum was tall, with a mane of long brown hair, some of its locks held up by long metal hairclips, giving him what Maria would call the "Byakuya look." (The Gunslinger, as always, had no clue who or what Byakuya is.) His brown eyes were incredibly dark.

The Gunslinger assumed Unum also worked for the Vatican in his own way. Supposedly, their diplomatic relations with Albion came to be because of him.

Not that it mattered to Tres. He, unlike Unum Iqus, was not groomed for diplomacy, but for death.

Maria entered the parlor where she sighted the two men, both seeming content to wait patiently. Both were potential eye candy, particularly the long-haired one with hazel-green eyes. His long hair was in a ponytail, a few strands falling across his face. And yet in her eyes, he did not hold a candle to the Gunslinger.

She heard some static in her communicator, followed by Kate's voice. "I found the information you requested. Not everything, mind you, but it is enough. Will you hear it?"

"Of course. Tell me what you've found."

"House Valdemars is, as you've suspected, a noble family. It is a large family, so it is considered by most as a Clan rather than a family. Their territory is the Grand Duchy of Latvia. Their main residence is currently based in Rigas, the Latvian capital. The present ruler is Grand Duchess Jelena Valdemars."

"That will be all, Kate." Maria switched off the communicator before addressing them. "I understand you needed to see me?"

"Yes, quite right." The man with hazel-green eyes crossed over to her in long strides, bowing respectfully. "I am Andrejs Moraitis-Valdemars and that man behind me is my brother, Eduards Moraitis-Valdemars. Technically, we are part of House Valdemars, but our mother married into the family, hence the use of both names."

"Right. I am Sister Maria S. Langden. But you probably already knew that so have a seat." The three of them took a seat. "So what business do you have with me?"

"For some time now, Grand Duchess Jelena has been investigating the whereabouts of one of her daughters and her family. The last we heard of the Lady Elene was that she had given birth to a baby girl. Elene and her husband, Count Janis, were in Italy at the time we heard this news."

Nod. "And then what?"

"They vanished. For several years we heard nothing from them. No one dared to say it, but we all assumed that all three were dead." Andrejs paused, remaining silent for several seconds before resuming his narrative. "Recently, however, we have come to believe that the child might live still."

Maria frowned. "Why tell me, then? You could have contacted the Vatican. There are many orphans there waiting to be taken in to a loving family or to be reunited with them."

Andrejs' eyes locked with hers. "You're absolutely right; why didn't we do that from the start?" The question seemed half-directed at himself. "Sister Maria, if we had done so, we would have left the Vatican empty-handed. We know exactly what the girl looks like."

Pause.

"She is talking to me this very moment."

It was then that Maria's world came crashing down on her.

"Maria, maybe you should take a bath."

"But I had a shower earlier, Asta."

"It's not for the sake of hygiene."

"Come on, Maria…we'll accompany you." Astaroshe watched Esther take Maria's arm and lead her towards the chamber where Astaroshe kept her pool-sized tub, followed by Monica and Edryana. Having become acquainted with Maria's character on short notice, the Viscountess of Odessa was certain that the girl's perception of reality was shot through. Then again, the manner in which they told her the news would take anyone off-guard.

Now that she thought about it, Astaroshe did recall hearing about Elene having a girl-child prior to her disappearance. Some members of the family were not too thrilled about her marrying a Terran, but they overlooked it since the man came from a good family, and the family had been loyal to them for a long time. Janis' feelings for Elene also appeared to be genuine.

The claim that Maria was a member of House Valdemars acquired more validity when Maria's physical appearance was taken into account. An overwhelming majority of individuals from this family possessed one dominant genetic trait in common: their hair.

Most were brunettes with black highlights like Maria, and on occasion there would be some who would have other hair colors (save black), but the black highlights would remain. Upon reaching old age, it was their black highlights that were the first to transcend from black to grey to white.

Some jealous nobles, mostly women, attributed this to a mastery in genetic manipulation and inbreeding, ignoring the fact that House Valdemars did not have a history of inbreeding. Astaroshe just thought that aforementioned women were just envious of the family's high fertility rate, as the women of this House tended to have multiple children and childbirth favored them.

"_Elene, is it true that the women of House Valdemars always talk about marriage?"_

_Elene looked down at Astaroshe, smiling. "I was under the impression every noble family talks about marriage."_

"_Yes, but your family—it's so huge…!"_

_Chuckle. "Well, we could chose not to have so much children…but we can't help it sometimes; we love kids." Pause. "Think I should have fifteen, Astaroshe?"_

The Duchess of Kiev sweatdropped. _I hope she wasn't serious…_

End Act XXV

V-ko: Sorry for the late post! I hope the bonus and this chapter compensates for it! If not, I'll try to write and post Act XXVI today as well. Things have taken an interesting turn in Byzantium; apparently alliance-peace negotiations aren't the only thing that's happening in Byzantium...

**Anna' Azure**: Glad you enjoyed the ending! Hopefully you'll enjoy the bonus and Act XXV as well!  
**Jinsane226**: Yes, he did cop a feel! Wonder what the heck did he do to himself for him to do that?


	28. Act XXVI: Her Grand Ducal Highness

Act XXVI

_Maybe I should have lied._

The young woman wondered what could have possessed her to consent to their request. The possibility that her rationality abandoned her at that moment and that her mind went with it seemed to be the deciding factor.

Maria was still skeptical about the claim that she was the grand daughter of some Grand Duchess in some region of Europe she had not even traveled to. Though she did not want to admit it, she was also a little afraid. Perhaps this was overdoing, but Maria still felt uneasy all the same.

She and Astaroshe could have gone alone by themselves. And despite everything, Maria welcomed the wave of relief washing through her when Tres declared that he and Abel were coming along.

Even with their welcoming presence, Maria was still on edge, toying with the edge of her sleeve, fiddling with the metal attachments around it, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and generally working herself into a panic.

She was brushing off imaginary dust from her clothes when she felt something touch her arm. Maria glanced towards Tres, who stared back at her. _"Do not make it worse for yourself; you do **not** need unnecessary stress."_ At least, that was the message she interpreted in his eyes.

She nodded and stopped fussing with her clothes but she checked herself again to make sure she was presentable.

The young woman wore a dress similar to the one Astaroshe was wearing, with some differences. For one the top half was modeled after a halter top, and the chest section was covered with metal plating that seemed to resemble a Celtic-knot-style figure-eight. The sleeves were separate, the top half-also covered with light armored plating.

The front and sides of the skirt were short, a few inches above the knee, while the back stopped an inch short of her ankles. Under the dress she wore skin-fitting chaps, which at first had raised a few objections from Abel that were swiftly silenced.

The boots were basically the metal-plated boots worn by the AX priests—after being subjected to heavy fashion. While the metal plates remained, stiletto heels were also added.

And finally, the colors used in the dress was actually a Byzantine invention called the Binary Pattern. The Binary Pattern consisted of complementing two colors in one set of clothes, or complementing alternate shades of the same color in a set of clothes. According to Astaroshe's explanation earlier that morning, the white dress-crimson chaps-and-sleeves combination she was wearing was called _The Rose Binary: York Over Lancaster_.

Maria did not ask if they had an international squabble with Albion when they decided on that name.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the voice of the Viscountess' manservant. "We've arrived at Valdemars Estate."

Tres kept his eyes trained on Maria, mostly in case her reaction to last night's incident was repeated. Brown eyes scanned her from head to toe for any movements that might give clues that it was forthcoming. There was nothing, but he decided to remain wary as a precaution.

At the end of the driveway was a large mansion which seemed to mimic a palatial residence, screaming of luxury. All mansions were large dwellings, but from the information Kate had given her, Maria thought this was perfectly justified.

Upon getting out of the car, they were welcomed inside by the butler and led into a drawing room. "Her Grand Ducal Highness will join you soon." He left the room quickly. Abel turned to address the Duchess of Kiev. "Asta, have you ever seen this Grand Duchess?"

"If I have, I probably forgot what the woman looks like. She hardly shows her face in most days the court is assembled in Ukiyo. It's mostly other members of the family whom are present, representing her as well as themselves."

The Crusnik nodded as he took in this information, falling silent. At that moment, the double doors opened and a woman Maria knew to be Jelena walked through.

"What do you think of this vacation thus far, Helga?" He asked, gently running the comb down her hair to comb out the knots. A low, purring sound rumbled deep in the Ice Witch's throat before she turned around on the ottoman, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"It has been wonderful so far. Byzantium really is beautiful this time of year." Cain smirked as he felt her hands squeeze his ass teasingly.

"At least behave yourself until I'm done with the knots, Helga…"

A pout formed on her blue painted lips. "Cain…"

The pout vanished as their lips met for several seconds before Cain broke the kiss. "I'm nearly finished. After that, feel free to do with me as you like." A grin formed on the Ice Witch's lips.

"Cain…have you ever tried BDSM?"

"Can't say I have, but I like how it sounds."

Jelena's appearance had an otherworldly quality to it. The only other woman Maria knew to have a similar quality in looks was dead and encased in a capsule of metal and glass.

The Grand Duchess appeared to be in her middle years, possibly from late forties to early fifties. Her hair was a dark, rich auburn that stopped short of her thighs with pristine white highlights while her eyes were a sapphire-colored blue. Maria had a hunch they were the kind of eyes that changed shades depending on the person's mood.

They stood up when she entered (though Astaroshe delayed by at least five seconds before doing so) and Jelena crossed over towards Maria and embraced her warmly. The young woman did not return the hug.

"You've grown into a beautiful woman, Maria." _Was that supposed to be a compliment?_ She thought to herself before answering "Thank you, Your Grand Ducal Highness…I think."

"Please, we do not need this formality. We're family, yes?" Inwardly, Abel sighed. The woman had achieved the opposite of the desired effect. However, if Jelena noticed anything she gave no sign of it and went on.

"The Lady Astaroshe I already know, but who are your male companions? Vatican Priests, I take it."

She nodded. "They're my colleagues, yes. I usually do not do diplomatic missions; I mostly work in the Ministry of Holy Affairs' special unit, AX. Father Abel Nightroad and Father Tres Iqus are just two of my colleagues."

Jelena's lips thinned imperceptibly at the mention of the Gunslinger's name. "Why was he given a number for a name? Or is that just some code used by the AX?" Tres studied her closely. Something about him had rubbed this woman the wrong way.

"Your Grand Ducal Highness Jelena, I am not human…I am machine. Development number is HC-IIIX, codenamed "Gunslinger." Even as his lips formed the words, they suddenly sounded strange.

They sounded…_wrong_.

His eyes flicked towards Maria and Tres suddenly wanted to take it back. If it would banish the sad light in her eyes, he wanted to take back his words. And now, the Gunslinger was even more confused.

_Since…Since when was improving Sister Maria's emotional status important?_

By the time they returned to the Asran estate, it was 4:30 pm. Twenty minutes later, Tres found Maria in her room, a bowl of ripe ruby-colored strawberries in her lap. "You know that I'll probably have to reorganize that dumb agenda courtesy of my supposed Grandmother, right?"

The Gunslinger had no response to that as he sat on the couch. Looking at the carpeted floor, Tres saw she was still wearing her stiletto boots and lifted up one of her legs without warning.

Maria nearly stumbled out of her position when it happened, but managed to place the bowl on the coffee table without any of the strawberries falling. The protest died on her lips as she watched Tres pull off the knee-length boot from her foot, followed by the second, both of which he tossed rather carelessly over his shoulder.

Before she even thought of asking, he answered her question. "It will start to hurt after a while and you might get blisters in the process. Also, this type of heel tends to transmit more pressure than an elephant standing on one foot, and thus tends to damage carpets and floors." Pause. "So says Her Eminence."

"I see." Without warning, Maria placed a strawberry in his mouth. Somewhat surprised, the Gunslinger ate it, watching her closely before pulling the leaves from his mouth.

At 5:30 pm, only a few a strawberries were left, and both were dozing on the couch, with Maria resting her head on the Gunslinger's lap.

End Act XXVI

V-ko: Here's Act XXVI! Hope you enjoy it and please review! Comments on the Tresther bonus story would also be appreciated! I'd answer the reviews now, but I'll leave that to the next chappie!

**Read & Review!**


	29. Act XXVII: Claddagh & Family Pressure

Act XXVII

Time passed quickly when you were busy.

At first, Maria took it all in stride; attending peace conferences early in the morning before being swept off into the city by Jelena and her two daughters, Coralin and Amarilis. On occasion, the young woman would be invited to dinner, at which she would then bring the others in tow (she did not bother to reprimand Leon for not wearing a shirt).

But the situation soon left its happy medium and soured, as Jelena began to take what was seemingly too much of an interest in Maria's lifestyle.

First was the uniform.

"Why are you wearing this hideous thing? It's not even in good condition! Don't the nuns have their own uniforms?"

"Oh." Maria noted the uniform Jelena was holding had several burns and tears. "I must repair it." She took it from her hands. "And yes, the nuns do have uniforms; you've seen Sister Esther and Sister Edryana wear them."

"What about the other sister with you, Sister Monica. _She's_ not wearing one." Jelena's tone was slightly accusatory.

"Technically, she violates no rules. Whether she's wearing the priests' uniform or not, it is still a uniform. My reason for wearing it is that the color white stains easily, and in my mission I must often shed blood at some point or another, especially if our quarry resists arrest." Pause. "Blood is a pain to wash off, too."

Maria had shrugged this one off easily as the matter was relatively trivial.

Second was Leon. Somehow the woman discovered he had a criminal record.

"Honestly, the company you're keeping! Do they just let _anyone_ in!?"

Once more, she countered it. "Father Leon has done us a service and in exchange we deduct from his prison term. Despite his mannerisms, he's a really sweet guy, and what's more, a family man. He has two daughters; his own and a girl he adopted from the Vatican."

"How do you know this Leon fellow doesn't molest them or something?"

"…You do realize this is _Leon_ we're talking about? When we do fundraisers for religious facilities that provide shelter for children or charity causes centered on child abuse, he's the first volunteer."

The third clash had involved the common practice of arranged marriage.

"What do you think of Andrejs?"

"I have not had much opportunity to socialize with him."

"Is he appealing to you?"

Maria suddenly felt like she was in a non-humorous version of Nudge, Nudge. "He…is appealing…"

Jelena nodded. "Yes?"

"But he's not my type." She looked at her. "Why do you ask?"

"Andrejs has expressed interest in you. Word is he plans to ask you out."

At this, Maria frowned. "Isn't he part of the family, though?" The Grand Duchess shook her head. "A rather distant relative, several times removed. He might as well not be family." She fluffed her hair. "So there's really nothing stopping you from accepting when he does ask."

"I would not say that. On the contrary, there are a few reasons I might refuse." Pause. "First of all, the man is not my type. To be frank, I am not interested in him. I'm also abstaining from dating at the moment."

Without really knowing why, Maria decided to omit the fact that she already liked someone. _Somehow I doubt she'll like hearing that._

The fourth time clinched matters. By then, Maria was annoyed and undergoing her monthly courses. She was spared the pain of the menstrual cramps but she could be easily provoked into a rage.

This time it had been her upbringing.

At first, Maria lent half an ear to Jelena, occupied with other matters while the other woman talked.

"That woman was too free-handed in your upbringing. She should have been stricter with you; perhaps she should have employed the rod on you as well. Normally, we try to avoid such disciplinary measures but at times they are a necessary evil…"

"Your Grand Ducal Highness, I will have to ask you to take back your words." Her voice was cold and she was gripping the sheaf of papers in her hand tightly, thin reddish veins gathering in the gray iris of her eyes.

"I…Beg pardon?" Was it just her, or did the room become colder?

"I will only repeat myself once more: take back your words. I have not spoken disrespectfully of your person or Empress Augusta Vradica. Therefore in turn, do not criticize Her Eminence, Duchess Caterina Sforza of Milan, or any important officials of the Vatican, in whatever deeds or acts they have done or are doing."

She fell silent, letting Jelena drink in her words before she continued. "Are we clear on this, Your Grand Ducal Highness?"

"Y-Yes, of course! I spoke out of ignorance." Jelena smiled weakly. Inside, however, she was fuming.

_H-How dare she talk to me that way! Who does this little chit think she is!?_

Maria was not the only one who had become irritated by the situation.

In the Vatican, Gepetto closed one of the leather bound books he was reading and turned to address the sleeping cat on the counter.

"Let's see how well we house-trained you, cat. Here are your following orders…rendezvous with HC-IVX and HC-VX en route to Byzantium."

The tail twitched three times and one of Almace's ears twitched twice before the cat stretched its body and walked over to a window. Stopping before it, the Bengal cat spat out a form of flaming black sludge from its mouth, burning a perfect hole through the glass before slipping out.

…_Damn you, Almace. Now how am I going to explain **THAT** to Cardinal Sforza!?_

"Where are we going?"

"I can't tell you that; it'll ruin the surprise."

"Does not compute. Please explain, Sister Maria."

"I wish you'd stop calling me that… We've known each other forever and a day, Tres. Why not address me by my first name as I do with you?"

"It would not be—"

"Shut up; I don't want to hear it."

Obediently, Tres closed his mouth and allowed her to tug him towards their destination.

"She's with him again."

"They're always together, it seems. Her bodyguard?"

"Maybe, But she sure doesn't _treat_ him like a bodyguard." Andrejs snarled at Eduards, staring moodily in the wake of Tres and Maria. Both were sitting at a café table with some friends.

Ishtar Barvon curled her arm around Eduards' arm. "So a girl is not interested in you. It's not the end of the world, Andrejs." She paused. "Besides, you're only going to add her to your list."

Eduards nodded. "Ishtar has a point, brother. So far you've only shown interest in getting between a woman's legs, never their hearts."

Andrejs glared at them. Alright, so he had the reputation of being a womanizer. He did not deny that. The young man could have let her go; what was one woman to him? There were always more fish in the sea.

However, this was different. He suspected the android.

_Call me paranoid, but I believe that she likes the android. It's irrational and I've no proof to back it up, but it is what I believe, and I believe she has eyes only for him._

His anger flared up several notches, as he cursed inwardly.

Andrejs Moraitis-Valdemars would **_NOT_** be shown up by a machine.

"This is it."

"A piercing parlor."

"Perfectly safe compared with our daily work, Gunslinger."

Tres fought down the sudden urge to pull her close and press his body to hers.

"You said safe."

Nod. "I did. But it might hurt a little and you'll probably bleed, too." She added, dragging him inside. From there on, everything seemed to happen all too quickly, and the Gunslinger found himself bent over a sink as the piercer drove the needle through his right ear, followed by whatever earring Maria had picked out.

The pain barely fazed him and he remained silent throughout the procedure. The piercer disposed of the gloves and washed his hands before writing down instructions on paper and giving it to Tres.

As they exited the shop, he veered sharply to stare at the glass windows. Maria guessed that the Gunslinger probably wanted to know what they had done to his ear.

"Maria…?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "Yes, Tres?"

"What is this?" Tres gestured at the new silver earring now hanging from his right ear. It was a Celtic design, beginning with twisting extensions that ended into hands grasping a heart with a crown above it, the heart's interior containing a red gem.

Maria took out the box where the earring had come in and opened it, removing her own white gold hoop earrings and putting on the spare on her right ear.

"It's called a Claddagh. It's usually more commonly used in rings. Depending on which way the heart points, it shows whether that person is in love or looking for it."

Love…That word is alien to me.

"Which is it for you?"

Their eyes locked in an intense gaze.

"I guess I'm looking for it."

End Act XXVII

V-ko: And now, to the reviews!

**Sinn Fein**: The Tresther fic was part of a trade with Fallacy on DevART for a sketch of a scene in the story. Actually, the sketch just depicts Tres' expression when Abel explains jealousy to him, so... And as always thank you for the praise. Must remind myself to send a note asking for constructive comments.

**Jinnsane226**: Yes, there's been a lot of cute moments between them that's for sure...How long before it goes from cute to smutty I wonder... (is attacked by Maria)

**Anna' Azure**: And here's 76 paragraphs' worth of it! Hope you enjoy this!

V-ko: There were at least three more scenes I wanted to include, one of them particularly racy as it dealt with...certain physical issues of the male body. But I didn't have an excuse to introduce that one in. And the chapter was getting quite long so...it'll have to wait!

**READ & REVIEW!**


	30. Act XXVIII: One Winged Angel

Act XXVIII

"_What was her answer, Grandmere?"_

"_That impertinent girl! Ooh, I believe she addresses so rudely on purpose!"_

"_I take it she refused, then."_

_Jelena nodded. "I did not want to, but the little chit has left me no choice, Andrejs. If she will not come willingly…"_

_He nodded solemnly. "We are to employ more forceful means and put her in her place." Pause. "Do you have a plan?"_

"_Yes. I believe you will enjoy carrying it out Andrejs, for it involves that hateful android of hers." Her words were rewarded by a loathsome grin on his face as Andrejs kneeled down on one knee, his head bowed low._

"_I hear and obey, Grand Duchess Jelena Erszebet Valdermars-Bathory." Jelena smiled at his words._

"_Hmph. I was under the impression that that part of our family geneaology was forgotten…"_

Her anxiety threatened to overwhelm her reason. It baffled her, particularly since as far she knew, there was _nothing_ to worry her head over.

…Right?

"Lady, you should calm down; you'll wear a hole in the carpet with those heels."

"What? Oh, thank you Quadre." Maria removed the stiletto-heeled boots and resumed her pacing. Quadre Iqus rolled his eyes at her behavior. He failed to see how Tres could _not_ have been annoyed by this at least once or twice during the time he associated with this girl.

The girl beside the little boy, some years older than him, was a bit more sympathetic. At any rate she thought the bond between Tres and Maria was cute. Sue glanced at the youngest male Killing Doll. _Quadre is too young to understand it fully yet… And that applies to me, too._

When it came to hair color, the color scheme amongst the Killing Dolls was rather monotone; the majority of their number were brunettes. The only ones who were not were Erzsebet, Edryana and Sue herself.

Sue's hair could not be readily described. For the most part it seemed a light creamy brown tinted with silver and rust-colored tones. The style was rather boyish, and went well with her deep green eyes. The professor said that with a little work, she would resemble Sue from _Clover_, but she doubted it.

Quadre, like the other boys was also a brunette, his hair the same shade as Deus but styled the same way Francesco styled his hair. Unlike the first three, his eyes were a deep blue. He was also uncharacteristically cynical.

She watched Maria pace back and forth on the carpet when Almace's voice shook her from her reverie.

"He shouldn't be gone this long. It's already night."

At that moment, Hugue burst in.

"A situation's come up, Sister Maria."

The first thing he felt was pain.

The Gunslinger groaned as he tried to open his eyes…and found he could not open his right eye properly, as it was swollen shut. Gingerly, he reached up to feel his eye…only to find that he was chained up.

Then, it hit Tres with the force of a hurricane. The scent of smoking flesh, the sensation of being on the receiving end of club and fist, and finally his world going black…

_I've been abducted. _

Without wasting a second, he got to work. Finding his ankles were not tied to the chair, the Gunslinger slowly rose to his feet, managing not to wince from the throbbing waves coming from all parts of his body. It was a slow process, as the chains restricted his mobility but Tres was able to stand up and lean for a few seconds against the wall, scanning his surroundings.

Apparently he was in a closet where maintenance supplies were kept. Outside the Gunslinger detected the faint scent of alcohol. A brewery cellar, perhaps? _No…it lacks that other scent cellars generally have._ Standing upright, Tres walked towards the door—it was incredibly slow going to his mind—and pushed it open with his body.

The Gunslinger stepped out of the closet and into what seemed to be a dance hall or hotel ballroom. The roof was a stained glass dome, and the shafts of moonlight from both moon and Vampire's Moon cast fanciful colors and shadows as they shone through the glass.

Tres suddenly sidestepped and stuck out a foot, causing his hidden attacker to trip and fall flat on his face.

"Not bad…for a machine."

"What do you want, Andrejs?"

"Who did it, Hugue?" Maria's voice was low with a steely edge. Hugue backed up a few feet. Maria was angry and out for blood, possibly blind to all else but the current situation. The Sword Dancer looked into her eyes and felt a slight tinge of fear.

_She's dangerous. One wrong move and she will strike—and she will not strike blindly…_

"Tell me now, Hugue!"

At that moment, Astaroshe's manservant stepped in. "Duke Baybars of Khartoum to see you. He has information concerning the whereabouts of Tres Iqus."

Astaroshe glanced at Maria. The girl had lost all sense of composure and was trying to regain it, to no avail. "Send him in." _Before this girl abandons all rational thinking and goes on a blood-spree…_

Fortunately, the chief of the Yeniceri came in before Maria decided to act on her own.

"I would say Good evening, but we all know that would be a lie. So I shall skip the formalities and get down to business. The Intelligence Branch of the Yeniceri—"

"The Palace Guard has spies?" Maria glared at Leon, who immediately shut his mouth.

"As I was saying, the YIB conducted an investigation prior to the time you received this news. It just so happens one of our agents unwittingly played eyewitness to the event. He saw Andrejs Moraitis-Valdemars and his brother supporting a man between them, as though the man was in a drunken stupor and had a few accidents that resulted in injuries. However, he recognized the man as one of the priests from the Vatican entourage." Baybars paused to catch his breath.

"The people serving in the Yeniceri would remember that one well; we were informed that he was an android but he still served as a perfect example of discipline. Admittedly those who had worked with him in the Rosenkreuz investigation during your stay took a liking to him, Lady Ambassador."

Maria smiled slightly. "It is very difficult not to, Your Grace."

"Your plan will fail."

"She cares about you; she'll have to play by the rules to make sure you're returned unharmed, robot."

"You, sir, are lacking in intelligence and judgment."

Andrejs pressed the blade against his neck. "You did _not_ just call me an idiot." Tres' expression remained the same as he stared back at him. "…There is still time for you to repent."

"Repent of what, you hunk of metal!? You're completely unarmed and handicapped. Once I've destroyed you there will be nothing to stand in my way from claiming Maria and perhaps even her virgin's blood."

Andrejs' hazel-green eyes glazed over and his face took on an odd expression. It took Tres a few moments to recognize this expression as one of extreme pleasure.

"Android, have you ever tasted the blood that comes from breaking a woman's hymen during sex or even when she is menstruating? Oh, that's right, you're an android. How silly of me!" The young man laughed lightly. "Still, I shall humor you with a description, since you cannot experience this wonderful thing."

Tres had no choice but to listen, and to check his growing anger.

Somewhere in the streets, a song began to play.

"_Where have all the good men gone  
And where are all the gods?  
Where's the street-wise Hercules  
To fight the rising odds?  
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?  
Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need…"_

The faint strains of music reached her ears, but she did not stop running. It was dark, and the streetlights in this part of the city were in need of new lightbulbs or whatever they used to power them up, but that was fine. Her vision was sharp and she could rely on other senses to find her way.

Maria put on a burst of speed to catch up with Almace.

For his part, Almace had no trouble tracking down the Gunslinger. However, he was more worried about the girl who had employed his services as temporary bloodhound. Everything about her _reeked_ of anger. Anger and the need for blood.

_Thank Bastet we're getting closer now…_

Soon, both Bengal cat and girl stood before a domed building. Without a word to the animal, Maria strode inside.

It would be a lie to say he did not attempt to reason with Andrejs.

He made as much progress as he would with a Lycanthrope.

The reward for his efforts had been a deep slash to his arm and his stomach, though the Gunslinger had been fairly certain Andrejs had intended to stab him.

"I strongly advice you to cease and desist while you still can. Or you will die."

Andrejs brandished the weapon in his face. "You're in no place to utter empty threats."

"…I never said I'd be the one to kill you either."

Before the latter could respond, Eduards ran inside, all the blood gone from his face.

"_Somewhere after midnight  
In my wildest fantasy  
Somewhere just beyond my reach  
There's someone reaching back for me  
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat  
It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet…"_

"What is it, brother? You look like you've seen Hell."

"Andrejs, she's come. She—"

"Good, bring her here so we can start." Andrejs sheathed his blade back in his skin and stepped aside. If possible, Eduard's face went paler at the sight of Tres.

"…Fool! Why did you injure him!?" His cry of anguish and despair could not drown out the blood curling screams.

She was at thirty percent.

Her appearance had not really changed much, or rather, the changes were not so obvious unless you were standing close to her. Her lips were dark, the gray irises of her eyes veined with red cataracts. In one hand she held her snake blade, poised to strike if need be.

Most of the men surrounding her were dressed in the livery of House Valdemars, apparently guards or soldiers of a private army. If she still held a shred of reason she would have spared them.

Fate was not so merciful, however.

The snake blade extended into segmented links as they rushed her, blood splashing onto her person as the blade made contact with flesh. Sometimes it was clean, other times it was not. She lost herself in the battle, at one point forcing one of the soldiers down, the snake blade wrapped around his neck.

"P-please, don't do this, milady! I was just following or—"

"Shut up." With that said, Maria planted one foot upon the unfortunate man's back and tugged.

His head came off in a fountain of blood, splashing her clothes, face and hair as well as the blade. She stared at the body for several more minutes before speaking. "Who's next?"

Hearing the sound of the survivors' feet as they fled out the door, she continued her search, clutching her snake blade like a vice.

It was not long before she found them.

"_I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong  
And he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure  
And it's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life…"_

"Surely you must be jesting, Eduards—"

"If I were, I would have this look on my face would I, Andrejs!?" He glanced behind him and backed away.

"What's wrong? You're sweating." Eduards raised a finger and pointed behind him. Andrejs turned, and upon seeing Maria he smiled. However, the smile soon became a frown as he took in her appearance.

A great part of Maria's uniform was drenched with blood, as was her face and hair. In one hand she held what appeared to be a short-bladed sword. She stopped walking, taking a moment to examine her surroundings.

Then, Maria's eyes fell on Tres.

"You hurt him."

"Ah, yes. About that, he was being incredibly rude, said if I was wise I wouldn't hurt him and basically called me an idiot." Pause. "Had to discipline him, you know." She gripped the hilt tightly.

"I understand."

"Good, shall we get down to business, then?"

A savage grin appeared on her face. "Of course. Let's discuss the business of your demise, Andrejs Moraitis-Valdemars."

"Yes, that's right—wait, what?" He glanced towards her in confusion. And for the first time since she arrived was actually noticing her state of appearance.

"_Up where the mountains meet the heavens above  
Out where the lightning splits the sea  
I would swear that there's someone somewhere  
Watching me _

Through the wind and the chill and the rain  
And the storm and the flood  
I can feel his approach  
Like the fire in my blood…"

Maria continued grinning madly at him as her weapon started to grow. It stopped growing upon reaching the length of a claymore. At the same time, blood began to flow down from her hair and down her face. It kept a steady flow until it pooled at her feet.

The puddle of blood was still for a second before beginning to draw inward, as though she stood on a drain. And at first, that was what Andrejs thought too…when he remembered the floor had no drains.

Maria felt the blood rushing through her veins. "This is where Abel says, "Crusnik 02 loading…Forty percent acknowledged." As she spoke, electricity crackled faintly around her person as something began to form itself on the left side: a battered, ash-gray wing.

"What…What _are_ you?"

"I left out a few details, now shut up and fight." She took flight, somehow remaining airborne despite her handicap. Watching the fight from below, it was obvious to the Gunslinger that it was not an even match.

_It might have been even…if she cared to stay below forty percent._ Said a little voice in his head.

_Affirmative._

"I would have spared your life, you know. But you just had to go and injure him, you son of a bitch?" Her voice was deceptively calm, the exact kind of voice used for the discussion of mundane subjects.

Andrejs wondered if he should attempt to grovel at her feet and plead for mercy. _No…That would only offend her._

"I hope you realize that I must kill you." He scoffed. "It was only a few injuries…why are you making such a big deal over a machine?"

Her fist connected with his jaw. "Fool! I'll drain enough blood out of you to reduce you to a living zombie!"

Suddenly, a third voice spoke out.

"Sister Maria, I am well aware of how much you'd like to turn him to a pile of ashes but…" The voice paused, groaning softly as they struggled to speak. "If you kill him, Her Grand Ducal Highness Jelena might file a lawsuit against you, and then you will be tried for genocide at the Byzantine Courts, which in turn will delay our departure, and you might even be sentenced to life imprisonment or death."

Tres pushed his back against the wall, forcing himself to stand, causing the stains on his uniform to spread. "The desire to sate your anger…is it so important it must assume priority over all else?"

Her gray eyes locked with his for a long time, to the point eternity seemed to stretch between the seconds, though it couldn't have been more than 20-25 minutes. Finally, Maria looked down at Andrejs.

"Be grateful. Out of convenience, your wretched life will be spared." She threw him down. Andrejs wasted no time in fleeing after his brother.

She turned to the Gunslinger. "Can you walk?" The blade of her claymore snake blade wrapped around the first loop of the chains and she tugged, breaking it. Tres staggered a little. "I might have to lean on you." She nodded and allowed him to place one arm over her shoulders. She had already taken his weapons and tucked them wherever she could in the confines of her uniform.

"Let's go." As they left the hall, the song stopped playing and a new one replaced it.

Somewhere above them, Cain was smiling.

_It seems I might not need your DNA after all, Abel…_

End Act XXVIII

V-ko: It is finally up! (celebrates) Sorry for the late entry, I was momentarily stuck, but it's fixed now! (frowns) Damn, the kiss never happened... Anyways, to the reviews!

**Sinn Fein**: I guess in a way I wanted to make it appear as though it WAS an episode. It would be so cool if I could animate this story (or at least draw/write a doujinshi) and send it to Kiyo-san and Thores-san, but alas, I lack the skills...

**Anna' Azure**: Yesh, it ish very smexy! I actually happen to have an actual pair of Claddagh earrings except the little gem is green and not red.

**Phantom Syren**: So far, your review has been the only negative one in this fic. I would be rude and say, "Don't like it don't read it" but instead I shall present my defense.

Paragraphs- Have you perhaps considered that it was intentional? It's a new paragraph whenever the subject changes or someone else talks; I wrote it like this because it doesn't make much sense to bunch what several different characters are saying in one paragraph. People will get confused. I also do try to indicate who is saying what.

As for the second part of your paragraph, I shouldn't bring it up, not really. But for the love of the Triple Goddess don't make it sound as though the ONLY thing I read is MANGA.

Read & Review!

PS- I'm planning on making a character list detailing all the original characters and what they can do. And to anyone who's a Dietrich fan- I extend my apoligies; I'm afraid he might be...handicapped later on.


	31. Act XXIX: First Sixscore & Nine

Act XXIX

"_I know you're not the kind of person to be lenient when upholding the law, Excellency." Pause. "So why did you allow me to get off so easily?"_

_The girl-child Empress looked into her eyes. "Are you asking me to give you a more severe punishment, Lady Ambassador?" _

_A guilty pause. "Well…yes. I committed mass homicide, didn't I?"_

_Augusta Vradica, also called Seth Knightlord, laughed. "Abel's rubbed off on you." Maria shook her head vehemently. "No, that's not it. It's just—"_

"_The only real crime you committed was killing those soldiers. You were the victim here, Sister Maria. Once they discovered you, Jelena would not leave you alone—women of her standing are like that. Oftentimes, they are the real leaders in their family and not the husbands. Jelena in particular was unaccustomed to being defied by one of her own."_

_Seth studied one of the stained glass windows with interest. "It never occurred to her that it might happen again."_

"When you think about it, this plan does seem considerably less time-consuming." Isaak Von Kampfer sipped the steaming hot coffee, tapping the table's surface with his fingers.

"Technically, any woman would serve your purpose, Mein Herr." Dietrich glanced at Cain from the corner of his eye. "But this one…she would give you that, and more besides."

Cain Knightlord chuckled lightly. "And you are right, Dietrich. Why shouldn't I just take an ordinary woman? I would still get what I need, after all." Pause. "However, you are also right in saying she would give me more than a body—she would give me her power also."

Grin. "And all it takes is nine months of pregnancy hell."

Ever since their arrival at the Vatican, Maria had kept a close eye on her Gunslinger; she didn't want a repeat experience of what happened in Byzantium.

_He was never yours to begin with; that kind of thinking is not healthy for you._

_You're wrong. He is Our Gunslinger, and was thus from the beginning._

As these thoughts took form in her mind, she could feel a twinge of heartache. "Why…why must I always complicate things for myself?"

The answer sprang up almost instantly.

_Because you like challenges, and you sincerely believe in his humanity. You knew full well this would very well lead to heartbreak and maybe even suicide. No…not suicide; that would be a coward's death. You knew what would happen if you became ensnared by those eyes but you allowed it to happen. Why?_

Maria smiled sadly and began singing softly to herself. Over and over she sang the same excerpt, gradually alternating her pitch and voice tones until she sounded exactly like the person who singing the song.

"_They're coming to take me away, HA HA  
They're coming to take me away, HO HO HEE HEE HA HA  
To the funny farm  
Where life is beautiful all the time  
And I'll be happy to see  
Those nice, young men  
In their clean, white coats  
And they're coming to take me away, Ha-haaa!"_

He was in the process of changing his bandages when he heard the voice.

Tres did not go to the window to investigate but his eyes held a veiled hint of concern now. The Gunslinger's hands never ceased their movement, winding the bandage roll around his abdomen. Once he judged the number of layers was enough he pulled the black shirt on, but left the buttons undone, like Leon.

Naturally, he left a great deal of people staring—some of them drooling—in his wake.

Maria was not singing so loudly anymore, but she still continued to repeat the same excerpt under her breath, the perfect portrayal of a madwoman. The young woman was so caught up in it she didn't notice Tres' shadow falling over her.

"You should not fret over me so much, Sister Maria."

She looked up slowly. "I can't help that, so it is useless to tell me." Maria rose from the stone bench, reaching out to caress the thin x-shaped scar across his chest. The Gunslinger did not wince, watching her.

_It was dark. No one should be up at this hour._

_His hand grasped one of his guns lightly while the other reached for the doorknob and opened it, prepared to blast down unwanted intruders._

"_Sister Maria, why are you up at this hour?" The girl in question, at least seven to nine years old, looked down._

"_I felt a little lonely. It doesn't feel nice, being all alone in the dark, Brother Tres."_

_Tres merely stared at her, his right eye glowing a dying red._

"…_Get on the bed."_

Lightly, Tres tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Do you think you will get lonely tonight?"

Blink. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

He did, and she locked eyes with him for a few seconds before giving her answer.

"That would be nice, Tres." Without explanation, she hugged him, trying hard not to drink in the scent of pomegranates that Tres always seemed to have on him. After a few minutes, he returned the embrace, holding her close to him in silence.

"Mein Herr, I require your assistance with something?"

"Oh, and what would that be, Magician?"

"Simply an idea inspired by the Silent Noise system. However, this time it is not so much a weapon as it is a stimulant."

Cain raised an eyebrow in interest. "What manner of stimulant are we talking about and just what are you planning to stimulate?"

Isaak pulled a memory stick from his pocket and stuck it into the USB port of his laptop. "I shall explain to you in full."

Maria frowned down at the doorknob.

_You're not supposed to be warm…_ She thought, cautiously and silently opening the door. Closing it quietly behind her as she entered, the young woman could smell the aroma of freshly made tea, which made her frown even more as she rested her hand on her gun.

Walking to the small kitchen in her dormitory, Maria stopped and uttered one word.

"Lohengrin."

Casually sipping pomegranate tea, Dietrich met her gaze coolly before taking one final sip and setting down the cup.

"He can't fulfill your needs, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"You know."

"So it wasn't an actual vacation, then. A mere farce to collect information."

The puppeteer smiled. "So what if we did work on the side?" Pause. "I didn't collect this information, though. Isaak and I were at an Otakon convention."

Maria blinked several times. She could have sworn he said "Otakon convention."

"I know that must be hard to believe—" Dietrich was cut off.

"You have pictures?" He blanched at seeing the look on her face—the look of a fanatic.

"Ah…Yes, I just so happen to have them here." Dietrich pulled out an envelope of photos quickly out of his pocket before Maria decided to conduct a thorough search of her own and leave him mentally scarred. She snatched it from his hands and started looking through them, making him sweatdrop. "You do realize I'm not here to discuss this, right?"

"I do…But I didn't get the chance to go, so…" After a few seconds, she spoke again.

"Did your jaws hurt after cosplaying as Ichimaru Gin?"

The day had gone remarkably fast after that. Needless to say, she made sure that Dietrich did not leave the vicinity of her room unscathed. Technically, one should not hurt messengers but at that moment she was only too happy to do so, and she had also wanted to try out a theory regarding Dietrich's ability.

It was during the night that things took an unprecedented turn.

Maria and Tres were sleeping in the Gunslinger's bed. Well, Maria was sleeping. As a cyborg, Tres did not actually require sleep though the option was open to him if he wished it. In any case, his eyes snapped open the moment he felt his blood rushing to his loins and his shaft press against the cloth of his boxers.

The Gunslinger tried to ignore it. But when it began throbbing painfully he found he could not do that. Tres remained composed though a small part—a very small part—was bordering on panic.

Tres, you see, had not been educated on this aspect of life.

His brown eyes glanced towards the sleeping girl on the bed and red tinged his cheeks.

_I feel…awkward?_

Awkward. Yes, that was the word. Once again he glanced at her.

Something nagged at him for doing this. He shouldn't but he couldn't just ignore his body either; this strange occurrence might result in further malfunctions, and Tres could only begin to guess at how severe they might be.

Besides, the Gunslinger had been thinking about Maria, more so than he would like.

He shook her gently. "Sister Maria…"

Maria stirred, mumbling something incoherently before staring at him with half-closed eyes. "What's wrong? You look worried."

"My body. There is a malfunction but I am unsure as to how to fix it. Or whether to see Father Wordsworth and the Professor about it." He added as she opened her lips to speak.

She closed them again before asking another question. "What kind of malfunction?" Tres fell silent and looked down. She followed his gaze. Only to gasp at seeing the tent that had formed in his boxers. "Tres…when did…?"

"Insufficient data."

The silence lasted for about five minutes before Maria spoke again.

"Do you want me to help? I don't know much, myself but…I do know that it will hurt if you ignore it."

"It's already hurting, Sister Maria."

She nodded a little and pressed two fingers gently on the bulge, stroking it softly.

The touch sent a sensation like an electric current traveling up and down his spine that spread everywhere, making him gasp. That was but the beginning however, as Maria squeezed and pulled his shaft firmly and gently, clearly experimenting to see how she could best help him.

After a few minutes, she tired of this and grasped the waistband of his boxers, fingering it before pulling down, having some problems with his erection as she did. Once they were past his groin, the Gunslinger's member shot up, the head seeping with pre-cum and the shaft pulsing slightly.

Maria fought the impulse to do one—or both—of two things: to ram that phallus down her throat (never mind that it would be her first!) or to force it inside her and ride him.

_Maria…don't go losing your head because of this. You're not a man, so you don't have that problem of having only enough blood to run a brain or penis at a time…_ She thought to herself, when Tres' voice brought her out of her reverie.

"Your lower undergarments…" She raised an eyebrow.

"What about them?"

"They're wet."

She looked down. Sure enough, there was a small wet patch between her legs. "Hmm… I guess it is worth a try." Maria removed her panties and tossed them on top of his boxers on the floor.

"Personally, I've never done this myself but it was explained to me. Basically, you're lying down and I'm on top, only I'll be facing the opposite direction. I don't think I'll need to explain exactly what you must do."

Tres merely nodded and laid back as she climbed on top, giving him a view of her glistening, wet labia and pink clitoris.

Soon the room was filled with the sound of soft whimpers and moans.

End Act XXIX

V-ko: Sorry for the long wait! Last weekend was my birthday and I had a friend over. Also, I thought it would be nice to take a break and refuel. As you can see, things have gotten rather steamy between Tres and Maria. I've been wanting to do this scene for some time but couldn't find a way to fit it in. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

**Jinsane226**: I already explained before in my message, but I'll say it again. The reason I don't write something like "Meanwhile" or "Elsewhere between paragraphs that switch from one scene to another is because I believe it is disruptive. A story should flow, not be constantly interrupted.

**Anna' Azure**: Hehehe, your patience paid off! Here's the next chappie!  
**FlyingWyvern**: I'm glad you're enjoying this! More rambling reviews please!  
**Child of the Triquatra**: It isn't so much of a background as it is a summary of their powers...Kind of felt that had to be explained, particularly in Almace's case.

PS- For those who are interested, please check out my devART account for a drawing of Maria--as drawn by a friend of mine, Nicolle. The drawing is still very much incomplete, and there is still the coloring to do. Maria also came out looking a bit like Astharoshe... My username is HC-IIIX. Also, on the second week of April do not expect any updates as I will be on a class trip to Japan.

**READ & REVIEW!**


	32. Act XXX: Pygmalion & Galatea

Act XXX

Susanne Skorzeny carefully examined Dietrich's hands, frowning. "She certainly did a number on your hands and face. Particularly your hands."

Dietrich glared at the Red Baroness, his glare's effectiveness somewhat reduced by the fact that Isaak was holding a raw steak to his right eye. "Just how bad is it, Susanne?" He inquired, pressing the steak more securely to his protégé's eye.

"All broken. What did you do to piss that girl off?"

What, indeed…

"_Why are you here?"_

"_Mein Herr Contra Mundi wishes to extend an invitation into our ranks to you, Maria." _

"_Don't get so personal, Lohegrin." Pause. "And why, pray tell, would he do that?" _

_Dietrich sipped from his cup. "He believes it would be in your best interests to join us, Sister Maria." _

_Unexpectedly, she grabbed his hands, gripping four of his fingers tightly. "You mean His interests, not mine." Before he could react, one hand let go and clenched into a fist, slamming his right eye while breaking all ten of his fingers with the other. _

_The puppeteer howled in pain, cursing her name as he gazed upon his fingers, all bent and broken out of shape. "Bitch!" _

"_Sticks and stones, Dietrich. Sticks and stones. Now make yourself scarce before I break anything else."_

"Not very ladylike is she?"

"Despite her education…far from it."

She was still somewhat dazed from last night.

Maria was certain that Tres was even _more_ dazed than her.

_It must have been overwhelming for him…He wasn't trained for social situations. Otherwise he would have just masturbated._

Oh, but Tres _was_ beautiful. She had only the moonlight to aid her vision but from what she saw…

"_And so Pygmalion would work on his statue every day, until it took the form of a comely woman. As Irony would have it, he who scorned women fell in love with a woman of marble who had no breath…"_

Maria chuckled bitterly. "So I'm Pygmalion now?"

Sliding off the bed, she approached the bathroom, intending to clean herself before she vacated the vicinity of the Gunslinger's room.

Tres didn't like the look on Professor Garibaldi's face.

The Gunslinger had gone to him, needing an explanation on the incident between him and Maria last night. Much to the Gunslinger's dismay, said professor appeared to find it rather humorous.

"Forgive me…I really shouldn't be laughing at your predicament. But it's a lot like "Forty-year-old Virgin"…only you're much younger and you're a cyborg."

"Does not compute."

"Still, you did what you had to do. Hmm, though I wonder where Maria heard of that position." Tres raised an eyebrow. "Position…?"

"Yes. The sexual position you used is called 69. It's a form of mutual oral sex." Upon seeing that the Gunslinger was probably very confused (though he hid it admirably), Gepetto wrote something down on a piece of paper and handed it to Tres.

"You'll find all the information you need on that website, Tres." The Gunslinger stood up and folded the paper, tucking it in his pocket. "Affirmative." Watching him leave, Gepetto sighed, trying hard not to become a crying, sentimental mess.

"My little boy's growing up…"

"Hmm, you plan to use music to make her transform involuntarily?"

"That is correct, Mein Herr. What emotions the musical track evokes is crucial as well, as music influences people."

Cain flipped his hair. "It's a good plan. Since the target appears to have powers similar to that of my siblings and Lilith Sahl, it makes sense why you'd ask me to be your test subject."

Isaak nodded. "You'll have to power down for this to work, Mein Herr. At least twenty percent."

The blonde Crusnik frowned. "Isn't that too low?"

"You will still be in one piece. I believe we should start off easy. The reason I ask you to power down is because the musical track is also intended to raise the power levels for the duration of its playing."

"Why is that?"

"Call it a hunch I want to test, Mein Herr."

"_Ecce Mundi Gaudium  
Ecce Salus Gentium  
Virgo Parit Filium  
Sine Violentia _

Ave Virgo Regia  
Dei Plena Gracia…"

Maria smiled as the voices of the choir children reached her ears. It was so soothing to hear them sing, and was that a song from Mediavel Baebes? If so, kudos to them. Rocking slightly on the stone bench, she started singing her own song in response.

"_So sayeth life, the world is mine  
The flowers that bloom and the song of the birds  
I am the daylight and the sunshine  
So spricht das Leben, the world is mine_

_So sayeth death, the world is mine  
Your daylight is but vein display  
Stars and moon sink in eternal night  
So spricht das Tod, the world is mine…"_

He was surprised he hadn't shut down from the confusion.

Tres had accessed the website as the professor had told him to…and was completely overwhelmed by all the information.

The Gunslinger did not really comprehend why people were so touchy on the matter of sex. It was a completely natural thing, it was the only method they could use to reproduce, and yet they made such a big deal about it.

_Humans are confusing…_ At that moment, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Maria's voice.

Maria…

The young woman was even more confusing than the newly-acquired data.

Normally, he would shrug off any affection she showed him, but lately he found himself wanting to return it. But the Gunslinger did not have any knowledge in this area, so he could not.

Tres walked towards the bench.

"_So sayeth life, the world is mine  
You make great tombs of marble and stone  
But love, you cannot entomb  
So spricht das Leben, the world is mine _

So sayeth death, the world is mine  
I have prepared a graveyard  
And created pestilence and war  
So spricht das Tod, the world is mine

So sayeth life, the world is mine  
Every grave is a plot of land  
Into which my eternal seeds do fall  
So spricht das Leben, the world is mine…"

Maria trailed off as she heard footfalls upon the grass and the rustling of clothes. Without looking back, she spoke.

"Hile, Gunslinger. Long days and pleasant nights."

"Tower-speech, Sister Maria?"

"Aye."

Tres sat beside her on the bench. For a while, neither said anything. After what seemed like eternity, Maria broke the silence.

"My life is a myth right now."

"Does not compute. The statement is too ambiguous."

"I'm talking about Pygmalion and Galatea."

"…Please explain, Sister Maria."

"Pygmalion was an artisan, a sculptor when you get to the specifics. He was also very popular with the women. And no matter what they did, he ignored them, because Pygmalion scorned all women."

"I still fail to comprehend how any of this—"

"I'm not done. Then it just so happened that he fell in love…with a woman. But she was different from the others, for this woman was not alive."

At first, Tres had only been lending half an ear to her rambling, but now one eyebrow shot up in interest.

"Not alive…?"

"She was a statue carved and sculpted from a block of marble. And yet just looking at her you could have sworn she was alive. At first, Pygmalion dressed her in fine garments and gave her gifts, not unlike a girl with her dolls. But this could only work for so long so eventually he became miserable." She paused to catch her breath.

"Then one day, it just so happened that a festival in honor of Aphrodite was being held. When Pygmalion went to her temple, he prayed to the Goddess to help him find a woman just like his statue. Being curious about his prayer, Aphrodite went to his house."

"And then?"

"She was delighted with the statue. While she could have granted his prayer, she knew that his real desire was the statue itself. So she and the other gods gave it life. When Pygmalion returned, he returned to find his statue as a living, breathing woman. And they lived happily ever after." Maria fell silent.

After a few minutes she turned to the Gunslinger. "Right now, that's my situation; admittedly you are livelier than Galatea."

Tres licked his lips, which were suddenly dry, as was his throat. He watched as she took one hand and peeled off the glove, pressing the hand against her cheek.

"It was a mistake…but I love you, Tres Iqus."

He opened his mouth to speak only to find that he could not.

End Act XXX

V-ko: And here's Act 30! Sorry for the wait, but this chapter gave me a few problems. The ending was a bit rushed I admit and hopefully the RCO will make their move in the next chapter.

**READ & REVIEW!**


	33. Characters, Abilities, & Trivia

The Lines Between Flesh & Steel:  
List of Original Characters & Their Abilities

**Maria Sforza Langden**

-"Standard" repertoire of vampiric powers  
-"Premium" repertoire of vampiric powers  
-Blood weapon  
-Wing growth (The most powerful crusniks have six wings; crusniks who go beyond this level can have up to twelve wings or more)

**Almace Straif**

-Poison glands containing samples of every known natural poison (mineral, flora, fauna). Poison can be released through biting or subtle gases emitting from its body  
-Flaming black acidic substance known as Amaterasu A. Can melt most or any surface, possibly even Isaak Von Kampfer's shield.

**Edryana Iqus**

-Zantetsuken ("Iron-cutting sword"; ninjato). Blade is made from the strongest metal in the world and can cut through anything.  
-Specializes in Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu  
-Shuriken, kunai  
-Strategic gun assault

**Amie Sorelle**

-Urumi (flexible sword); chakram  
-"Standard" repertoire of vampiric powers  
-Power: Fleurs du Mal/Dryad

Notes & Trivia:

Wing Growth- certain angels were said to have more than one pair of wings; cherubs had four, seraphs had six, and Lucifer and Metatron had twelve and sixty-four wings respectively. In itself this is not really a power but a form of measurement used to gauge Maria's power levels.

Amaterasu A- Short for "Amaterasu Acid." This ability of Almace's was inspired by one of Uchiha Itachi's jutsu, Amaterasu, which burns black flames hotter than the sun and can burn through any surface.

Zantetsuken- Another inspiration, this time by Monkey Punch's Ichikawa Goemon.  
Fleurs du Mal- "Flowers of Evil." One of a set of poems in French literature on the subject of Erotism and decadence. In this case however, it refers to Amie's special power which is controlling vegetation and is analyzed as "Target Category F. Identification: "Dryad."

MORE CHARACTERS TO COME!


	34. Act XXXI: Silent Acknowledgment

Act XXXI

Slowly she opened her bleary eyes, wondering where she was and why her muscles seemed so sore. _My arms…are being held up?_ Maria tugged, and she heard the telltale clink of metal chains.

_I can't remember…what happened._

The young woman strongly disliked being so disoriented. As her senses gradually regained focus, she became aware of approaching footsteps coming her way. After an eternity they stopped, replaced by a voice exuding both danger and sensuality; an actual Lucifer.

"You're awake."

Maria lifted her head up slightly. "…You again."

Cain smiled down at her, sliding his finger beneath her chin and lifting it up so that they faced each other. Casually—too casually for her comfort—he traced her jawline with his thumb.

"You are familiar with the Annunciation, correct?"

"What about it?"

He leaned in closer, their lips almost touching as he blew softly on her lips. "Congratulations, Sister Maria…" Pause. "You have been singled out for a most high and honorable duty: bearing my seed in your womb…" The blonde Crusnik moved in behind her, one hand cupping her crotch. "And providing me with the body I need."

Maria's eyes widened and she struggled to move even though she knew it was futile. Breathing in deeply, she began to use twenty-percent of her power, using her elemental abilities to send heat into the metal, followed by extreme cold once she felt she had used enough heat.

Cain had obviously sensed something. "Go ahead. Break your chains…" He continued to feel her up. "I'll make sure you won't leave until I take what I need from you." Maria grinned maliciously.

"Why bother your pretty blonde head with me, Contra Mundi? Don't you have minions for that?"

"I do. However, I can't have you damaging them all, since I need them."

"For what? To play with?"

Was she seeing things or was that a vein throbbing on Cain's forehead? "You seem to be under the impression that I'm some kind of pervert, Sister Maria."

"…Aren't you?"

"…So she's gone missing."

Caterina watched Tres stiffen slightly from the corner of her eye before glancing back to Kate's translucent form. "Try to locate her, Sister Kate." Once Sister Kate's hologram vanished, the Duchess of Milan turned to address the Gunslinger, only to find he was no longer there.

"So why have you come here, boy?" Tres didn't answer, having a sudden strong interest in the somewhat faded red cross on the front metal plates of his boots. Gepetto smiled sadly at him. "It's her, yes?"

"…Positive." Pause. "I failed to keep my word."

"Don't be hard on yourself. It was mere coincidence that Maria just happened to run into the Orden on a solo mission. Now stop sulking and tell me what you plan to do."

The Gunslinger straightened himself and met his gaze wordlessly. "Mission re—OW!" Gepetto had dealt out a smarting thwack with his cane on Tres' knee, sending him crashing down on one leg.

"Now now, none of your mad charges of glory Tres, however noble they may seem." The Gunslinger looked at him, confused. "Hmm, take your brother with you."

"Acknowledged, but which brother would you have me take?" Tres didn't stand up, looking at the man who was responsible for his upbringing. "…Deus. Yes, Deus would suffice. And take the cat as well."

"…Understood."

"Pervert! You just want to take advantage of the situation and see me topless!" Maria glared daggers at Cain as Helga and Susanne placed her blouse, mantle and bra at her feet before shackling her arms to the wall again. Needless to say both women had to agree with her on this one.

_You'd think Cain would be subtler about expressing his perverted desires…_ Helga thought as she glanced back to him. The blonde Crusnik merely smiled at the young woman.

"I'm only saving you the trouble of having to repair your clothes after this." The only answer he received was a very rude answer from Maria. Naturally, Cain was unfazed by it and pulled on a pair of earplugs before dismissing the women and retreating with Isaak into a soundproof chamber.

Looking around, Maria suddenly realized the walls were made up of speakers. In the soundproof chamber, Cain nodded to Isaak who pressed a button on a panel.

As the music began to play, she felt a change and her gray irises were faintly veined with red.

Tres and Deus did not have far to go, in terms of distance. Thanks to the Albion Professor (who had placed tracking devices in the lining of everyone's overcoats), they only had to travel along the Appian Way, to find the Orden's current hideout.

Noticing a tangle of vines hugging the wall of the building, Tres pulled Almace out of his pocket and set him down on the ground.

**"_Go and climb up those vines. We'll follow once the surveillance is bugged."_**

Once the cat set off, Deus touched one of the segmented links on the bracelet on his left wrist, causing it to expand and cover his entire forearm until it looked like it was a part of him, a prosthetic limb. He twitched his fingers experimentally before a holographic screen appeared and began his work.

Despite himself, the Gunslinger could not help but feel another alien sensation—anxiety.

**"_Are you sure you will not leave a trace, Deus?"_**

**"_Negative. I cannot make guarantees, Tres Iqus."_**

**"…"**

**"_Things are different between you now, aren't they?"_**

**"_I…"_** Hesitation.** _"Unable to verify; insufficient data."_**

Deus smiled.

**"**_**Something must have changed if you delayed an answer…"** _Pause._** "…Right?"**_

**"…_Positive." _**

The other cyborg tried to ignore the melancholic overtones in his foster brother's voice.

"…Beautiful." He murmured as he looked down upon her.

Maria was gasping for breath, her arms hanging limp as she tugged half-heartedly at her chains. Of course, they knew that if she wanted to she could have broken free by now. But the music inexplicably froze her.

Her appearance was quite different from before. The color of her eyes was a bloody red and her lips had turned black. Two gray wings grew from the left side of her back and appeared to glow with a strange luster, reminiscent of the pale flowers in the Asphodel Fields in Hades.

Since Cain and Isaak were not facing her and the soundproof chamber was above her, they did not see that her eyes were now totally devoid of pupils. On occasion, lightning sparked from her body.

"What's her power level?"

"80 percent at the moment…No doubt she will surpass you."

"Surpass me? She is but a child, Isaak."

Isaak did not respond, frowning at the screen.

"What is it?"

"She just skipped to 100 percent…" Isaak's eyes narrowed as he watched a third wing grow out from Maria's back.

"They're trying to gauge her power…"

"Hmph." Deus looked down through the panes of glass at the scene below them before holding out a hand. "Weakness confirmed. Give me _Deus Ex Machina_. And that metal bolt we brought along."

Tres raised an eyebrow. _Deus Ex Machina_ wasn't originally intended to shoot a projectile better fit for crossbows. Then again, the so-called "bolt" was actually the top half of a pike that Professor Garibaldi had broken and altered the sharpened end so now the projectile resembled a harpoon more. Fitting the bolt into the barrel of the rifle, Tres handed it over.

"Once I shoot, make your entrance and rescue your dame, "Ohjisama…"

The Gunslinger did not bother to make an inquiry.

End Act XXXI

V-ko: Sorry for the late update, minna-san! I was really struggling with this chapter...and I'm running out of ideas...gah! D I've also lost track of the reviews so I can't answer them in this chapter sorry! (bows repeatedly)

**READ & REVIEW! CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS LOVED!**


	35. Act XXXII: Rescue Mission & First Kiss

Act XXXII

The metal bolt struck below the bottommost speaker, cutting off the music and engulfing the hall in silence.

Before Cain and Isaak could register what had happened the silence was broken by the shattering of glass as Tres jumped down through the glass roof, firing rounds upon the thick glass of the soundproof chamber. It did not shatter completely, but it got the two men inside on the move.

Landing on the floor in a half-crouching position, the Gunslinger straightened himself and ran towards Maria, who had already broken her chains and was quickly pulling on her shirt and overcoat, having stuffed the bra in her pocket as they were in a hurry.

"Status report, Maria."

Her eyes widened slightly but she shook her head. _Worry about it later._ The young woman thought to herself.

"I feel like shit."

"Statement does not compute."

"Does that matter right now, Tres!?"

Deus' voice interrupted them. "Our priority at the moment is to retreat. HC-IIIX, Almace Straif will soon release gases in the vicinity of this area."

"Acknowledged, HC-IIX. Beginning analysis on all possible ex—" Tres never finished, as Maria had blasted a hole through the wall with her lightning.

"That will suffice…" Deus trailed off, his noise twitching. His eyes glazed over momentarily but he shook his head. "Almace has released the gases. There is no wind today so it will linger for some time. Let us proceed."

Outside, the Bengal cat was already waiting for the trio, his tail twitching impatiently. Once they neared him, Almace jumped into Tres' arms, after which the Gunslinger carefully stowed him away in his overcoat. After that it was a five-mile run to Rome.

Inside Isaak's ship, Cain cursed under his breath as he forced himself to drink the horrible medicine that the Tank Magician had given him. "Curse them…!"

"Those released gases were certainly unexpected. I'm still unsure as to what caused them, but I am certain it was no device of our make, Mein Herr."

Cough. "That is not important right now! I _needed_ that woman, Isaak! I need her to provide my new body…" In an almost fatherly way, Isaak pushed him down into the capsule. "You need rest, Mein Herr; those gases did not help your handicap at all."

Cain nodded slowly, eyes half-closed. "Yes…Must…rest…"

Once Isaak was certain he was sleeping, he left the room.

Deus had gone on ahead with Almace to report on the mission.

The Gunslinger had no qualms with this; Maria needed rest after her ordeal.

He had ordered room service, and she had tried her best to eat some or most of it despite that she was not really hungry. After eating what she could, Maria went back to sleep.

It was not until sometime in the late afternoon that the situation changed.

"Tres?"

"Yes, Sister Maria?"

"Could you…come here for a bit?"

A glitch of uncertainty struck him for an instant before the Gunslinger approached the bed. "What is it?"

Her hand slowly wrapped around his wrist while the other pulled his head down towards hers. An alarm, faint at first, but increasing gradually in volume began blaring in his head, and Tres tried to jerk his head away. Maria did not allow it, pulling him down roughly so that part of him was bending over the bed. "Sister Maria—"

Their lips met, Maria's tongue darting inside his mouth, exploring it thoroughly before gently pinning his tongue between her teeth and sucking it. A muffled groan erupted from Tres' lips as he curled an arm around her waist to hold her upright. His mind was a whirlwind of confusion as many sensations assaulted the Gunslinger, trying to analyze these anomalies and failing.

The most disconcerting of all, perhaps, was the mysterious heat accumulating in his loins.

_What…What is going on? Everything seems to be in order, so what is this malfunction!?_

"…Don't be afraid."

"…I cannot fear."

"And I suppose you cannot be in self-denial either…?"

"…"

Slowly, Maria broke the kiss. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't force myself on you."

Two fingers slipped under her chin and forced her to look the other way, in Tres' direction.

"You don't mind…?" The Gunslinger paused, apparently struggling to say the words. "You're fine with…" He trailed off, gesturing at himself. "With this? Even if I could probably not give you what you want from me, Sister Maria?"

She allowed a smile to appear on her lips. "I'd rather have you more than anyone else, Tres. You're…You are the only person who's ever actually triggered these feelings in me." Pause. "I'm still surprised I haven't raped you until now…"

"R…Rape?" Tres' eyes had widened considerably, and he eyed her warily now, ready to knock her out with the butt of his gun if he had to. Whatever this "rape" was, it did not sound pleasant. Seeing his expression, she sweatdropped.

"Oh crap, you weren't supposed to hear that."

"I advise you to keep certain thoughts to your—"

He did not get any farther, as she had smacked him in the face, making sure to leave a bright red handprint on his left cheek.

End Act XXXII

V-ko: And here's the update! The end of this fic is nearing! (GASP) But don't worry, I shall bend all my thought into making it something worthwhile!


	36. Act XXXIII: Final Stage is Set

Act XXXIII

Part of him was still in denial.

Part of him was bent on holding on to the belief that he was a machine, that he was beneath humans because he was the creation of humans.

The other part of Tres was struggling.

This part was struggling to do what seemed to him the impossible: to adapt to a situation outside the battlefield. He wanted to adapt, oh but how difficult it was!

One reason was ignorance. The Gunslinger lacked the knowledge to return her affections. He wanted to be the one to kiss her soft warm lips and explore her mouth with his tongue as she had done that night.

Maybe even try to attempt the 69 position if he felt bold enough.

Tres sighed with frustration and stroked himself faster as he leaned against the wall of the shower stall.

_At least I don't have to go to her for this every time it happens…_

Something was going to happen today.

She could feel this in her bones. Something would happen, and it would change the world.

Sighing, the young woman slumped against the wall, lending half an ear to the moans coming from within.

Wait a minute…

Maria straightened and opened the door to Tres' bedroom, her eyes widening as she took in a sound she thought she'd never hear from his lips.

Tres was moaning. And not in pain, either…

She groaned under her breath as she felt her groin heat up, followed by a tingling sensation. "Of all the times…!" Cursing under her breath, Maria left the room at a run.

"Now is the time to strike. Strike and end this battle permanently."

Caterina's words seemed to have acquired a silent echo as she spoke. She had not raised her voice, but the statement was loud enough without her doing so.

For a few minutes, there was silence, until a loud cough from William broke it.

"That is all well and good, Your Eminence. But obviously we cannot allow the Rosenkreuz Orden to choose the field of battle."

"The valley of Megiddo."

Everyone turned to glance at the Crusnik in curiosity. Abel cleared his throat before speaking again.

"The valley of Megiddo, also known as Armageddon." Pause. "They want to establish a new world order. While Cain does not share their biblical beliefs, he wants the same goal. Why not fight them in a place that holds significance for them?"

The silence that followed stretched on for eternity, until Leon saw fit to shatter it.

"You're not as stupid as you look, Abel!"

"I…I beg pardon!?"

They had bumped into each other by coincidence in the hallway. Perhaps since both sensed a need to speak in private, they proceeded silently to the nearest confessional. A small part of her toyed with the idea of accosting the Gunslinger in the confessional, but she ignored it, her mind currently focused on more important matters. The confessor's side was big enough for both Tres and Maria to sit inside without discomfort.

Maria went in first, with Tres close behind. He closed the door securely behind him. The moment he sat down, the Gunslinger's arms reached out, pulling her close to his person. For several minutes, there was silence.

"You have decided, Sister Maria?"

"…I won't step down, Tres. You know that between Cain and Abel there will only be stalemates. I can change that…and end this."

There was a pause as Tres tucked her head against the crook of his arm.

"I will not stand in your way." Pause. "However, you must give your word…" He seemed to have problems saying the words. "You must give your word to me that you will come back."

Maria's eyes widened slightly. "Tres…why…?"

He cut her off, locking his gaze with hers as he lifted her chin up so that she faced him.

"Without you…Without you, my purpose is only half-fulfilled. And that…that is unacceptable."

"Are you…?"

"Just come back to me."

His plea was terribly close to begging, and that frightened her. She was both frightened and happy because she now knew her place in his life.

"I…I will. I promise I will come back to you."

The corners of his lips went up in a nearly imperceptible smile as the Gunslinger pulled Maria onto his lap, feeling his sentiments of denial decline several notches.

"Thank you."

Back in Caterina's office, Sister Kate had brought up another question regarding their present issues.

"Now that we know where to fight, how shall we lure the Orden to Megiddo?"

The answer was not long in coming as a smile tugged at Caterina's lips.

"Sister Kate, forward the following message to the Duke of Medici." Pause. "It seems we will require the aid of the VBI for this job."

Everyone's eyebrows shot up in mixed expressions of shock and bafflement. The AX and VBI were not known for being friendly with each other. What had possessed the Duchess of Milan to command such an action?

End Act XXXIII

V-ko: Act XXXIII is finally up! D (celebrates) Gomen nasai for the long wait, I was really stuck in this chapter, plus I was in Japan for a class trip. (For those who are interested, check out my account on DevART for pics!) In terms of action this chapter does not offer much, though I suppose the TresxMaria moment makes up for it. (cough) I hope it does at least.

Anyways, **READ & REVIEW!**


	37. Act XXXIV: Fight in TelMeggido

Act XXXIV

Megiddo.

A valley—actually a hill—located at the head of Carmel Ridge and overlooking Jezreel Valley to the west.

Known as Tel Megiddo to the Jews and Tell al-Musteselim to the Arabs, the place was a by-word for the End.

The world's last battleground, Armageddon.

Within the confines of the _Iron Maiden II_, Maria squirmed uneasily in the embrace of her _tovares_' arms. Despite her bold words in the confessional some days back, doubt was beginning to creep in.

"Are we there yet?"

"Negative. We have just begun approaching the Via Maris." Tres removed the visor-like glasses and gently wiped off any dust he might have seen on the lens with his stole.

"I see."

Without looking at her, he continued cleaning the glasses. "Sister Maria, if you begin to have doubts about your duty, I will prevent you from ever setting foot on Tel Megiddo."

_That_ cleared away any doubts she had in a hurry. "Y-yes."

Hours later, the Iron Maiden II touched down lightly upon the ground. As soon the ramp was down, the entire AX Dept. ran down the ramp and across the dusty, rock-strewn terrain towards the Inquisitorial Fleet.

Deus turned to them just as they approached the ships, an elated expression on his face.

"Ready to kick some ass, bro!?"

"Does not compute, Deus Iqus."

"It _never_ computes—hmm?" The other cyborg leaned in to look at him closely. "Something…Something's different about you…"

At that moment, Petros' shout interrupted them. "Assume positions!"

Maria's clothes and hair stirred wildly as the Iron Maiden II ascended abruptly into the air, stirring small dust devils beneath her. After a few minutes, she herself launched into the air.

"You realize you run some risk of being targeted by the enemy's drones, correct?"

Deus chuckled, ruffling Sue's hair. "Of course we do. Still, we are too persistent to die."

"Are you prepared Deus?" Tres walked towards them, his gaze flicking from Sue to Deus.

"Positive."

In the air, Maria and Abel were using the floating drones as jumping stones to reach the ship. The only reason the drones had not attacked was because they had been programmed to destroy machines and not humans and/or living beings.

Maria quickly beat Abel to the flagship, where they could see Cain standing on it, already powered up at eighty percent. "Ah, so the chosen Virgin has decided to join in our fight."

"You've lost the moment you met me, Cain." Her snake blade extended to a claymore's length.

Soon the sky pulsed with red, blue and silver lightning.

End Act XXXIV

_A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I was really struggling to put a good fight scene and it seems I failed! Oh well, I'll try to put a good ending for this fic since I'm thinking this is the second-to-last chapter._ –V-ko


	38. Aftermath: Igne Natura Renovatur Integra

Aftermath: Igne Natura Renovatur Integra

She wondered whether she would be able to calm down.

The fight was long since over, but Maria wanted more. There was still adrenaline rushing through her. It had to go somewhere!

"I strongly insist you rest now, Sister Maria."

She looked up from her trembling hands and towards Tres, who was sitting on a chair beside the bed. After a few seconds, the young woman offered him a smile.

"I do wish you'd address me on first-name terms when we're alone, Father Tres."

The response was delayed slightly. "…At least once more, Sister Maria."

She did not say anything, examining him. Neither of them had come out of the battle unscathed. Tres had taken injuries in various parts of his body, and was wearing a metal-plated bracelet that had quickly encased the aforementioned injuries in wires and metal, giving the Gunslinger the appearance of a half-completed android.

Most of this was covered by the white terry-cloth robe he wore. It had taken Maria considerable effort not to think lecherous thoughts; that robe was the only article of clothing the Gunslinger was wearing.

"Is it uncomfortable?"

He raised a metal-encased hand to his ear, absentmindedly toying with the Claddagh earring hanging from it.

"Negative. It does not hinder my movements nor does it cause irritation." Pause. "You would do well to rest, Maria."

"…I can't. I still want to fight."

"That course of action is obsolete. You yourself made it that way."

She gazed at him, knowing the Gunslinger was in the right.

_After all…Life's not a video game. _

_The skies had flashed with multi-colored lightning._

_Even as he fought the man whose codename was "Marionettenspieler", a small part of Tres really just wished he could sit back and watch the incredible lightshow that was being unknowingly created by the three Crusniks battling in the firmaments._ _It would only improve once Seth Knightlord joined the fray._

_It seemed that his opponent also shared his opinion, as Dietrich had paused to stare up at the sky above. _

"_Better than fireworks, don't you think? And yet they appear mostly ignorant of the beauty they themselves create."_

_Tres looked up briefly, drinking in the sight of flashing lights in the clouded sky above Tel-Megiddo._

"_Perhaps they know, deep down."_

_Dietrich Von Lohengrin smiled as nearly imperceptible strings appeared to unravel from his fingers and fly towards the Gunslinger._

"_Perhaps."_

_And just like that, the battle began anew._

Tres stood up from the chair and pulled the covers back. Before Maria could object as a draft hit her bare legs he had picked her up in his arms, bridal style, and carried the young female Crusnik to the small bathroom in the infirmary room. Once inside, the Gunslinger set her down on the counter.

"What are you doing?" Maria managed to inquire once she recovered from the sudden shock of being moved from one location to the other without consent.

"…Your hair is a mess." As Tres spoke he picked up the brush lying on the counter and began brushing her hair.

"Oh."

As the minutes dragged on, she felt him part her hair into sections and begin braiding it. "What do you suppose happens now, Tres?"

He stopped for a moment, thinking of a suitable answer. She counted down to thirty before he answered her question.

"I was under the impression that we would now begin a new life, Maria…Together." Pause. "Or is there some change in plan of which I was not informed?"

Maria turned to face him wordlessly, but by then he had seized the chance to capture her lips, effectively rendering her mute.

As they kissed, Maria couldn't stop a smile from worming its way into her features.

"_By flames shall the earth be reborn."_

End The Lines Between Flesh & Steel

_A/N: IT. IS. OVER!_

_Part of me still refuses to believe this, but The Lines Between Flesh & Steel is finally complete! Granted, this ending was not quite what I had in mind, but the inner muse kept prodding and insisting it was enough. So I listened. Anyways, I want to thank all those people who reviewed and sent constructive criticism (admittedly, the latter was because of my shameless begging). If it wasn't for you peeps I would have taken forever! Of course, I'd be disappointing you guys if I said this was the last you saw of Maria and Tres, but for that you have to check out my profile to find out! - V-ko_

**PS: READ & REVIEW!!!!**


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